Master, Beloved
by squeekness
Summary: Kimble finds a new Master in an unexpected place. Part 18 of my Kimble series.
1. Chapter 1

Summary : Kimble finds a new Master in an unexpected place. Part 18 of my Kimble series.

Notes : Rated M for language, violence, and strong sexual situations.

AU but only because I chose to change a few things in my dear friends' histories for simplification, nothing drastic so please forgive. I've been working on this story for years so I do ask that you don't use any of my non-Marvel universe characters without my permission. I love my Siskans as I do my children.

I am going to apologize ahead of time for the amount of sexual content in this next book and the brutal nature of it as well. It's just that this is where my muse took me. I did try to tone it down some. I hope I don't lose too many of you because of it. This is not something that will continue in the rest of the series. - SQ.

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(One)

When Lakotashay finally awoke, her body screamed with agony. Being zapped by Davis was the equivalent to being hit by a truck. She groaned and rolled over onto her belly, lost in a fog of misery. She had no idea how much time had passed, the last thing she remembered was being taken from Kyle Franks and his team by Victor Creed, the infamous Sabretooth. Zander had won his fight against Seamus but next had been fried by Davis and immobilized. Then they had been tossed over Creed's shoulder like a dead deer and away they went. She had some vague recollection of hearing the beloved Remy's voice, but wasn't sure if he'd really been there or if it was a flashback from the bank.

Back in the here and now, she had no idea where they had been taken to. She could feel the coldness of the floor beneath her and realized she was naked, whoever had taken her had removed her clothes and weapons. There was something cold and metal around her throat, a collar of some kind. She could hear voices around her, but was only dimly aware of what was being said.

"What do ya want to do with this one, boss?" someone asked from close by.

There was a rush of hands over 'Shay's body, someone was looking to see if she was concealing anything. An odd thing since she was naked. "This one's ready for shipment," came the answer from the one who had frisked her.

"And the other?"

'Shay's eyes fluttered open and she could dimly see that Leon was being dragged away to the back of the room and dumped into a chair. This room they were now in was odd, it was big and open with srtange indents on the floor in the pattern of a square, the chair was the only furniture in it and it was fixed to the floor. Leon was naked himself and fighting his captors, but he was in the control of two large men, one of them being the powerful electricity producer, Davis. Leon, too, had a collar around his neck, one 'Shay recognized from her training. It was a restraining collar, Leon was powerless to do anything.

'Shay heard the clomp of heavy workboots and then there he was, Sabretooth in all of his glory, striding into view and looking Leon over like he was something good to eat. "Well, now. He's a little toy for us to play with. Let's see just how good he is at it, heh heh." The laugh was all evil intent.

"We got time for that, boss?" asked the man next to 'Shay. He still had his hands on her, vibrating worry and concern. "This one goes to Jael right away, just like you said."

"Oh, I know what I said, Charlie. I don't need reminding," Victor replied, his tawny eyes gleaming with malice. "But there's always time fer a little sport." His answer was that of ringleader and Charlie didn't argue, he merely sighed and waited, watching as his boss turned back to his prey.

Leon was sobbing now, looking up into the eyes of a monster. He just knew it was going to be bad, nothing Sabretooth did was ever easy or pleasant. "Z-Zander, help me!" he bawled, his whole body one huge tremor.

Zander heard Leon's call. He saw through 'Shay's eyes and saw what Creed was about. The man was already unbuckling his pants and sliding his belt loose. It was obvious the man was aroused and intended to do something about it, something at poor Leon's expense. Leon's eyes dropped to Victor's crotch and he let loose a twisted wail of terrible misery. Zander didn't need to read shines to know what that sound had meant, Leon had been sexually abused in the past and was about to be abused again.

_Kimble!_ Zander howled in the circle of light of Kimble's private black room, his voice loud in the semi-darkness. He had tried to wake the Lover before, but it had always been a bit tentative and gentle. Not this time, however. It was a plea for mercy.

Kimble suddenly jerked in his chains with a startled snort and rolled partway over, his eyes blinking drunkenly in the light. _What's going on?_ he slurred, totally confused.

_Leon's in trouble. You gots to help him out! We needs the Lover!_

Kimble blinked some more and looked to the screen in front of him. The screen showed what 'Shay saw and the torment that was heading Leon's way. 'Shay herself seemed oblivious to her inner selves. She seemed oddly pleased in some way, Leon was going to get some comeuppance and she had a front row seat. Her malicious streak was loving every moment of this.

_That's Leon_, Kimble mumbled, trying to grasp what Zander was asking of him.

_Yeah, kid. He's got no time_.

_What do you needs me for?_ Kimble asked, still having no clue.

_You needs to take his place. You kin do what he cain't._

Kim sat up straight and rubbed at his eyes. In spite of Zander's urgency, he wasn't responding too quickly. It was hard to fully wake after so long a sleep. He watched as Leon was slapped, a heavy blow that threw his head back with a sickening snap.

_I'm scared_, Kimble said, trembling. Sabretooth was one of the scariest people Kimble had ever seen. His shine was all anger and rage, speaking of evil deeds Kimble couldn't even conceive of.

_Kimble, please. We promised. We promised no harm would comes to any of them._

_He'll hurts us. Hurts us bad. _

_I'll be here with ya, Kim. Every step of the way. _

_I don't know if I can_. Kimble looked up at Creed's image on the screen. _It ain't us he wants._

_Then makes him wants us. You kin do it. You knows this._

Of course he did, Logan had gone so far as to accuse him of it. They were so much Siskan trash, the one who stole the love from those who wouldn't have given it otherwise. The rapist. But even the Lover's wounded heart still had some steel in it. He understood what Zander wanted and there was enough of a hero in him to desire it was well. If he was a rapist, so be it. Perhaps then, he could seduce for a good cause. Leon didn't deserve this, no matter how bad he had been, and Kimble was in a position to do something about it. Kimble stood up, flapping his wings in the circle of light and waking. He had no idea just how much this decision was going to alter him forever.

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Creed snatched a fistful of Leon's hair and dragged his head down towards his crotch. "Let's see how good you can suck, boy. Way's I figure it, a pretty boy like you oughter do just fine."

"Nnoo!" Leon screamed, his voice tearing his throat raw. He fussed and twisted, all the while knowing the inevitability of this. He hadn't been able to escape the man who had previously molested him, why would this be any different?

"Lets me. I'll do it."

Victor stopped, momentarily startled by the new voice. He turned and watched the pilot as he rose up onto his hands and knees. The creature was wasted, trembling still from what Davis had done to him, but there was only resolve in his eyes.

"What makes you think I want you? It wasn't you I was askin'," Sabretooth replied in an arrogant snarl. He wasn't pleased at the interruption, but really, it wasn't the first time he'd seen one teammate stick up for another. Sometimes it even added to the fun.

"Cause I'll suck ya so hard you won't even feels yer feets no more," Kimble boasted proudly, hoping he sounded braver than he felt. He was scared shitless.

Sabretooth's eyebrows went up in amused surprise and he couldn't stop the laugh that trickled out. "Well, ain't you the boastful one. Too bad though, yer bein' shipped out — **_unspoiled_**. Can't be bringin' Jael damaged goods, boy."

"If ya hurts me some it don't makes no nevermind," Kimble said next, the tremble already breaking his voice a little, "Leon kin fix me with his plasma."

Sabretooth heard Kimble's fear and couldn't help but respond. He turned away from Leon, considering this. There was nothing more fun that giving what a victim asked for, especially when they had no idea just what it meant.

"Boss," Charlie warned. Kimble was worth a lot of money -- three million dollars in fact -- and Charlie wanted his cut. That wouldn't happen if Kimble were killed.

"Is this true?" Victor asked Leon, ignoring Charlie completely. "Don't lie or I'll know."

"Yes!" Leon bawled. Being the coward he was, he was all too willing to let Kimble take his punishment. Anything to get out of this. "I fixed him up all the time!"

Creed sniffed and listened. He could tell by a person's scent and heartbeat if they were lying. Granted Leon was already under duress, but this seemed to be a fairly truthful answer. He remembered how Leon had tossed Zander the plasma right before Zander had charged that funny sword of his. That backed up what Leon had said as well.

Sabretooth looked back at Kimble, grinning now. He gestured to Davis who flipped a switch and a green laser field turned on, lighting up from the floor and creating an energy containment field. This now was the reason for the strange indents on the floor, they formed a sustained holding area that now boxed Leon inside with Davis who kept watch. Leon was isolated and a prisoner still, but now Creed's attention was diverted elsewhere. Kimble had the monster's undivided attention.

"Boss," Charlie repeated from Kimble's side, this time a little too impatiently.

Creed flashed his teeth. "I heard ya the first time, pup. Shut the fuck up or get out."

Charlie put his hands up and backed away, rising from his stooped position nice and easy, his eyes never leaving Sabretooth's. Creed paid well, very well in fact, but there was a risk in it. It was never wise to piss the man off, he wasn't the least bit put off at killing one of his own. One learned to tread lightly in this outfit.

Creed let the man back up and away. He moved closer to Kimble now and snatched at the Siskan, hauling him up to his feet by his hair.

By this time, 'Shay was done being quiet. At first she had been waiting patiently for Leon to be tortured, the little bastard. Her hatred of him had simmered all along, this child who forced her to kill, he was going to get what he deserved. Unlike Zander, she had no loyalty to Leon or anyone. She would love to see him have a little pain. But no, Zander had to go and wake the stupid cry baby Lover and now things were different. She had been rudely pushed aside and was now fighting for control of the body.

The bright lance of pain her tortured scalp was giving her was a terrible distraction though, it aroused her even as it hurt her. Curse Kimble and his stupid long fucking hair! It was ridiculous how many times it had been used to control them. Creed's breath came at her, hot and wet. His face came right up to hers as he looked them over and Creed's shine almost blinded her, it was even brighter than Wolverine's. She felt a surge of anger at their mistreatment and her power came awake with it. She pushed back against her captor telekinetically and was slapped viciously for her trouble.

"Davis! What's up with this collar!" Creed complained, tugging on the metal ring around 'Shay's neck. The collar was a restraining device, the light was flashing, indicating it was activated, but his captive had used his power anyway.

"The light is red, boss. Guess it don't work on him."

"Havin' a little problem, there, huh? What do ya know 'bout that?" Lakotashay taunted and then phased the body, hoping for a quick getaway. To her surprise, they remained solid, solid enough for another brutal slap to the face. This wasn't Zander holding her back, it was the restraining collar. She could use all their powers except phasing, it was the only measure of restraint the collar had. It was another one of those strange indicators that they were not organically alive, those restraints used for mutants wouldn't work on them the same way most computer detection systems missed them as well. The collar did change the air density around them, keeping them from phasing out of its range, but that was it. She raised some spikes at least, threatening pain.

"Don't even think about it, pretty boy!" Sabretooth snarled, not in the least bit intimidated. He was a bit uneasy by the change in Kimble's voice. It didn't sound as it had before, now he sounded like a little girl. It was a game, it had to be. Well, he could play games, too. "We ain't alone. You try fuckin' with me and yer boy Leon there is toast," Sabretooth promised, his authority here not to be questioned.

'Shay could care less about Leon's fate, but Zander did. He dissolved the spikes, leaving 'Shay helpless. He could have fought off Sabretooth perhaps, but not without losing Leon. Davis was too close and the laser field kept them separate. It wasn't worth the risk.

Creed sniffed at them again. "I want what you promised me, boy. You called me an' now I'm here."

"Do what he says, 'Shay!" Leon pleaded with a sob. He couldn't believe what was happening. Kimble had saved him and now 'Shay was going to screw it all up. "Don't let them hurt me no more..."

"You listenin' to yer boy over there, huh?" Creed continued with a laugh. He hadn't missed the fact that first Leon had called this one Zander and now 'Shay, but passed it off as hysteria on Leon's part. "He sounds a little bit scared."

"Yeah, we hears ya," Kimble answered in her place. He was fighting with 'Shay for control. The only thing holding him back was his fear. Creed up close was even scarier than Creed at a distance. He wasn't sure how he could possibly seduce so cruel a man, it was a nightmare waiting to happen.

Creed cocked his head again at the switch in voices. This was turning out to be one strange day. He wasn't sure what to make of all this, this bizarre little game playing out before him. He didn't like strange things and felt his ire rise. Maybe the poor creature was freaking out. He could have cared less. Obedience was his issue here. "Good...good. See, you belong ta me now, understand?"

'Shay began to tremble as Sabretooth's unexpected words resinated inside her mind. She had no idea if Creed actually meant what he just said but couldn't deny the effect -- it was the same as it had been with Cameron Bishop. It seemed as though this one wanted to own them as Cameron had. Being possessed, it had come to feel right, proper. Again, they had passed hands without their consent, forever a trinket to be owned and used. She could try to resist, but all the jerk had to do was shout Master and it would be all over like it had been with Cameron. She accepted her fate and realized that compliance was her only option here. Although...if she were to resist, perhaps he would kill them.

_Don't you even thinks about it, 'Shay!_ Zander growled and rattled his chains. He was upset at 'Shay spoiling his plans. He wasn't sure Kimble could hold her back. This was unexpected and most troublesome.

_I'll do as I please!_ she replied, eager now.

Victor was tired of waiting for her compliance. "You belong ta me now! Ya hearin' me, pup!" he repeated, his ire rising. He was not known for gentleness or patience.

There was no response, the conversation was all within. _Kimble cain't stop me! _'Shay said triumphantly.

_We made a promise! Leon won' be left ta die!_ Zander ordered. _Kimble, _y_ou gotta keeps control!_ _'Shay's gonna gits us killed!_

_So?_ Kimble asked wearily.

_Don't you give up on me, kid! _

Kimble turned away. He wasn't sure he cared any more. He was torn between what Zander wanted and 'Shay's powerful destructive will. Dying now would be so much easier than what Zander had asked of him.

Sabretooth gave the pilot another vicious slap and 'Shay shuddered from the impact. It angered her, yet pleased her at the same time. How she loved her precious pain. There was a strong pull from her groin, the sharp sting from the blow had aroused her further and sent a flush to her cheeks. It wouldn't stop her from trying to get this monster to kill them. She could see Sabretooth was up for it, he was furious.

"I said, are ya hearin' me!" Sabretooth howled, spit flying from his mouth. Charlie's fears of Sabretooth's anger were all too real, Creed could just as easily kill their prize, the money be damned.

"Fuck you!" 'Shay said, antagonizing him on purpose. Zander shouted something on top of it, garbling her words.

"What was that crap? I didn't hear ya!"

_Kimble, now! _Zander shouted.

_I cain't. It's better this way._

_Leon's gonna die. Do it fer him!_

Kimble looked over at Leon and saw death on his face. He had to chose. He had to chose now or Leon would die. The sneer on Davis' face proved it.

"Are ya with the fuckin' program, ya fuckin' retard!" Sabretooth shouted at his uncooperative victim and raised a hand full of claws. He made a fist and shook it with a loud growl. He was all done fooling around.

"Yes!" Kimble shouted, finally making his choice and jumping to the fore.

"Yes, what!" Creed snarled.

"Yes, Master!" Kimble squealed, automatically giving the ritual response.

Creed laughed. "That's better. Next time I ask you a question, you answer me!"

"Yes, Master!"

"Heh, you take on quick. Now that we got that all straightened out, pup...what can ya do for me?" Sabretooth asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Huh?" Kimble asked, bewildered, then recognized the look on Creed's face. Kimble knew this game, all he had to do was please. Just make this man happy. The Lover could do that, oh yes.

_See, kid. This won't be so bad. S' what we been doin' all our life. He's just a client, nuthin' more'n that, _Zander said to Kimble in his best soothing voice. He could see Kimble was afraid, but also that the two of them were on the same page now.

Kimble understood why Zander had called him out and had enough honor and courage to do what needed to be done to keep Leon alive. Zander's words were true, this man was a client. He had served others he didn't like, it didn't keep him from doing a good job then and it wouldn't now. To be owned, to be used for pleasure...that was what he'd been made for. His whole reason for existence in the first place. It assured his compliance and he gave up any thoughts of resistance that might have lingered.

The only one not happy was Lakotashay. She howled and screamed inside, feeling cheated from her death, but she was now outvoted. Kimble had made his choice. He would do this thing, he would keep Leon alive. He had the will and reasons enough now to keep 'Shay at bay.

Kimble looked up at Creed with his new sense of understanding and gave him his best charming smile. It came out all wrong because of his fear, but Sabretooth didn't seem to care one bit. "What did ya have in mind?" Kimble asked weakly.

"You called me on, boy. What can ya do?"

"Whatever ya wants, I guess. I'm ain't no real man like yous. I'm a pleasure program. A livin' hologram. I kin do whatever ya wants. 'Cept I cain't change back to a girl no more. This is the only skin I gots that still works."

Creed shook his head in confusion. He hadn't been told anything about this guy being anything less than human, but now it made a kind of sense. He'd seen Kimble shift from human to pilot just before he was melted. No organic creature could have survived that melting as well and the pilot probably didn't walk away from that without some kind of damage. Up close Kimble had no scent, no heartbeat. And what about this guy's voice? He could have sworn it was different now. It was deeper, less flat and empty. Again he wondered if this strange creature was going into shock from being captured. No matter, it would make him that much easier to control. "That ain't no big deal ta me. Sos yer not a real man, just some kind of toy. Well, toy, I'm waiting."

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Sabretooth released Kimble and the pilot fell to his knees, still a little dazed. Kimble had never been forced to perform under circumstances like this before and didn't know if he could pull it off. Still, he reached up and gently pawed at Creed's crotch. He felt the rock hard bulge there and hoped this wouldn't be so difficult. If he could please this monster, than maybe he could find a way to free himself and Leon as well.

"They gonna watch?" he asked, jerking a thumb at Leon and Davis.

"Is that a problem?"

"No. Jus' that Leon's kinda...squeamish... 'bouts this sorta thing."

"Like I give a shit. Now stop blabbin' an' git to it 'fore I get the idea yer just stallin'. You don't want to be dealin' with me all pissed off."

From the distant past, Kimble heard Gambit's voice in a warning. _Yeah, his 'ands is big. Whatever you do, don' ever piss Saby off. It ain't healthy._ A shiver of pain, bright white from the loss of his friend. But another of compliance, of submission. "Yes, Master."

Kimble closed his eyes and prepared himself. The flashback had brought him an idea. He thought about Remy and a faint smile came to his lips. That was it. Just a little game to make this easier. He still couldn't believe he was about to give pleasure to the man who had murdered Gail and left Gambit scarred forever, but the three of them had made a promise to protect the team, even if all that was left of it was Leon, the one who had hated them most. Kimble slid Sabretooth's belt free and loosened his pants, gently easing them to the floor.

Kimble tried to imagine a look of utter bliss on Remy's face as he bent to his task, putting all of his skills and training to work. The big man bucked against him with pleasure and Kimble was right at home again, doing what he had been made for.

Kimble's delightful illusion of pleasuring Gambit was shattered as Sabretooth growled with happiness and grabbed another handful of his hair. It was uncomfortable, but Kimble never lost his pace. This was no different than when Cameron Bishop had taken possession of him. **Serve** was the command that had been given and the Lover accepted it. **Submit** was the order demanded by the Master's fierce and painful grip on his hair and Kimble did not resist. He was terrified and wanted no more pain than what he'd gotten already. He knew a little hair pulling was the least of Creed's capabilities. He just closed his eyes and blanked it all out.

Kimble kept up with the big man even when Creed groaned and finished with jerk. Victor looked down in amused bewilderment as Kimble's throat worked, swallowing it all down even with his mouth still full. Kimble didn't gag or resist. He made one soft choking noise, but it wasn't because he wasn't able or willing to swallow it all down, it was because Victor had his head bent at an odd angle from his hair being twisted all around his fist. Creed was amazed, he'd never seen a man perform so well before, never mind one being forced like this.

"Oh, you suck good, boy. Better than a fifty dollar whore," Sabretooth purred. He was still a little hard and he stroked himself playfully. He had a high metabolism and an oversized libido to match. "That was just fine...fer starters."

Kimble shuddered. He wasn't getting the rush and joy from working as he usually did. At least it didn't hurt all that much, not like the times he'd been slapped. He looked across at Leon, but his teammate had closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch. Leon was trembling with fear. The sight of him reminded Kimble of why he was doing this. He was still Kyle's little hero, the protector of his people. If the big guy wanted a blow job, so what? If he wanted more, no big deal. He could take it. He had been made to serve.

"I needs ta power up a little," Kimble said, feeling a little used up from the abuse. Anything for another moment to catch his breath.

"All right," Creed said. He was feeling a little generous. He had enjoyed what Kimble had done and was looking forward to seeing what else he could do.

This wasn't the first time Sabretooth had forced a man to pleasure him this way, not by a long shot. His reputation as a walking nightmare was well known. It wasn't about the sex, it was about the domination and total control of someone else. That's what really got Victor off. Gender was meaningless in this game and the victims always slaughtered. It had happened more than once that a job got interrupted for sport like this and it wouldn't be the first time that his darker appetites even ruined a score. He wasn't worried about his men, he would compensate them regardless of the outcome, if this should get so ugly that the job was compromised. Although in this case, he didn't intend to kill this one, not Jael's prize. On the other hand, maybe he wouldn't bring him over tonight. He was having too much fun, something hard to achieve with his short attention span. He found himself wondering if he really wanted to turn Kimble over to Jael at all or keep the little bugger around just for kicks.

Sabretooth impatiently snapped his fingers at the door behind him.

Kimble was confused when a woman approached him from the next room. She was dressed in military style clothes as was her boss, but she wore them well. She was a shimmering blonde and walked with a feline grace and confident stride. Creed's presence did not intimidate her in the least. Mary smiled at Kimble indulgently and created a small ball of plasma from her finger tips. Kimble was startled, Leon had been lying to him all this time, saying he was the only who could provide plasma for him. She tossed the ball of energy at him and he snatched at it greedily, desperately wanting its warmth and oblivion even as he swallowed a snarl of resentment towards his teammate. What else had Leon lied about? The plasma blasted into him and he shivered from the joy of it. Yes, this was better.

"Happy now?" Victor asked impatiently, still waiting. He had stripped down while he'd watched Kimble's transformation from the energy. He watched as Kimble's pupils dilated and observed the pilot's sloppy grin, his response to the plasma had been fast. Sabretooth was quick to notice that the bruises Kimble had received during the fight with Seamus and the rough handling had vanished, Leon had spoken the truth. It also gave Sabretooth free rein to do as he wished.

Kimble looked up him with half open eyes. Mary's plasma was stronger than Leon's had been and he was sailing now. He was feeling quite buzzed and no longer cared about how horrible this was. "Shure. What didja wanna do now?"

"I want you on your knees."

Kimble obeyed.

His movements were a little sloppy from being so high and Creed didn't like it. He crouched down beside his captive whore and yanked on his hair once more, jerking him into position. Kimble cried out in shock and surprise from the rough handling and scrambled to comply.

"When I tell ya to move, you move at my pace, not yours!" Sabretooth growled, his snarl right in Kimble's ear.

"Yes, Master!" Kimble blurted out as he trembled uncontrollably in terror.

Creed laughed, appeased. "You all done playin' around, pup?"

"Y-Yes, Master!"

Davis laughed, he couldn't help himself. He loved to watch Sabretooth break down a man's spirit. He did it very well. Creed was a monster and he worked with a group of people as cruel and hard as he was, how could he not? No one else would put up with a boss as harsh and demanding as he was, no matter what the pay. Of course Creed paid very well, his dollars and allowance of brutality on their victims were an incentive no other faction would allow. His men were just as violent and insatiable as he was.

Creed moved in behind the pilot and slid a hand between Kimble's slightly furry butt cheeks, looking to see if this strange new amusement had an opening for him or not.

Kimble learned quickly and wanted only to please. He leaned back against Creed's probing fingers, assuring him that he had what this monster was seeking. The hand withdrew and Kimble cried out when he was suddenly slammed as Sabretooth shoved himself inside of him. There had been no preamble, no foreplay, just a savage, violent entry. Never had Kimble been taken so roughly and with such force. He didn't have an anus per say as a human did, just a fairly accurate representation of one. He had a certain amount of flexibility there to accommodate any user, he was even self lubricating to a minor extent. It didn't help him here. He bellowed in agony as his sensitive opening tore and bled from the abuse. His lower belly exploded with pain.

"Oh, yer tight. Tight and sweet, just like fuckin' a little bitty girl," Victor purred, thrilled by the cries of pain Kimble had made, he was getting off on Kimble's agony. Sabretooth's enjoyment came from the rape and the pain of his victim, not the sex.

_It hurts! _Kimble screamed inside and immediately burst into tears. _Oh, oh! Zander! It hurts so bad!_

_I'm sorry, kid. Just hang in there and I'll get us out of this as soon as I can, I swear._

Kimble sobbed and bawled, the pain more than he could bear. Creed laughed from behind him and slammed him even harder.

_Hope yer happy now, Lover, _Lakotashay said with a laugh of pure malice and triumph. _This is what you deserve for stopping me. Take him all in, Kim. Take every inch._

Kimble had never felt such pain. He had to do something, he could feel vibrations of hurt and rage coming from Creed and they hurt him as bad as the physical abuse. These vibrations, they were the source of Creed's cruelty and his torture. He was lashing back at every person who ever fucked him over. It was his pain. **_His pain..._**

With sudden understanding, Kimble acted quickly. He took a deep breath and reached out with his empathy. He thought of Fallen and the sweet smell of her skin when she would hold him close and mother him when he was angry and afraid. He thought of Seth and the soft gentle sound of his laughter and the way his lips would curl slightly when he smiled. He thought of Remy...gentle Remy with his soft Cajun lilt and the lovely smell of his aftershave. Remy...sweet Remy and chocolate.

Creed grunted in surprise as all of Kimble's love suddenly poured into his brain. It hit him like a warm wet blanket and smothered all of his burning rage. His anger was replaced with a wave of pure pleasure and his body shook with it. He looked down at Kimble and saw that he'd stopped sobbing. Kimble's face had taken on a look of total bliss under all of his tears and he was relaxed, no longer fighting this. Another wave of pleasure slammed him and he knew now Kimble was doing this. Creed was normally resentful towards most forms of mind control, but heck, this was just too damn good!

Victor threw his head back and laughed. He was riding high now. His brain was being flooded with endorphins and he was buzzed above and beyond any drug he'd ever taken --- and he had tried a great many in an attempt to achieve the sensation of utter bliss he was feeling now. His high changed his motions and he was no longer violent. He released the death grip on Kimble's hair and stopped slamming him with his body. His movements became less wild and more controlled. He'd gone now from rape to simple fucking and sent the pleasure waves right back to Kimble.

Kimble heaved a sigh of relief when the sharp level of pain dropped off dramatically. He was shocked to find himself becoming aroused, turned on by Creed's vibrations of joy. He had done this only to lessen his pain, to calm Victor enough to make this tolerable. He had never expected to get this turned around back on him. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over him with every stroke of Creed's now gentled rhythm and all of his pain vanished, replaced with wonder and happiness. The change of pace allowed the plasma from Mary's recharge to heal him some and he felt no more pain from the tearing Creed had given him. It changed the feel of the fucking, and he shivered from the pleasure of it. This was good, so very good. He was now controlling Sabretooth, taking him over to a point in a perverse kind of masturbation, and it had been so long since he was fucked as well as this. He was hit by unexpected guilt. This was the killer of Gail and Kyle. How could he possibly be enjoying this?

_Nice trick, kid. Very nice, _Zander said with a laugh. _Gotta hand it to ya, yer pretty clever._

Kimble was getting more than he bargained for. He was beyond aroused now and fully on his way to completely desiring this. "Uh, oh no..." Kimble wheezed, shaking from his world coming apart in a way he could never have imagined.

Creed was having a blast. "Make him watch!" he bellowed to Davis. He wanted Leon to see.

Leon squealed as he was forced to watch by his captors. He had heard Kimble's screams in the beginning. He had heard Kimble's pain and knew it all too well. Leon had been savagely raped like that himself as a child and for the first time, Leon actually had some sympathy for Kimble.

Kimble was confused at his body's reaction to what was happening, but loving every moment of this now.The vibrations fueled his passion as much as his will and for the first time in a long time, Kimble was back at the helm and in complete control.

In the circle of light, Zander began to pace. He didn't like just how much Kimble was enjoying himself. He was starting to get a really bad feeling about this. He had no desire to trade one bad Master for another. He would be sure to speak to Kimble about this if this was going the way he suspected it might. For the moment, he would sit quiet.

Victor's pleasure waves hit Kimble again and again, making him incredibly high. He was enhancing Sabretooth's rush with his power and it was coming full circle round. He had manipulated Sabretooth into doing this, he had used his power to control the situation and was being fully rewarded for it. The big man had pumped him full of passionate energy and Kimble let him do as he wished, his mind reeling from a pleasure so great he couldn't contain it. He realized to his surprise that for the first time he could recall, a client was taking him for a ride instead of the other way around. All of Kimble's control was lost as Creed's huge thundering heartbeat swelled inside of his head and blew him away. His body shook uncontrollably as Creed's climax became his own and they both cried out loudly.

Victor fell forward, laying Kimble down as his knees gave way. He was shaking from head to toe, blown completely away. His mind was a white blanket of bliss, all of his rage and pain was gone. He'd always had some background noise going on, a constant clamoring for the hunt and the kill. It was now wonderfully absent. All he felt was an incredible sense of peace and euphoria. His pupils were large and glassy now, his body stoned on Kimble's backwash. Never in his life had he felt anything so fine as this. All he heard now was silence and the sound of his own labored breathing.

He looked down and saw Kimble, this strange angel, quivering and panting from what had to be a rush as fantastic as his own. He sat back on his heels, rising now, and gently pulled Kimble up with him. He looked down where Kimble had been crushed on the floor and saw he was right. A small puddle of grey gel had come from him, he had ejaculated. It now shimmered and disappeared, but Creed had no doubt of what he'd seen. This strange creature had gotten off as much as he had. Never had Creed witnessed a victim of his torture react like this. Creed felt a most pleasant buzz coming from his new found high. He couldn't stop himself from laying the pilot back against him and gently running a huge clawed hand across Kimble's belly in an almost loving, intimate gesture of thanks.

Kimble was surprised when Creed embraced him and the heat of Sabretooth's body from the exercise warmed him. He lay his head against the big man's chest and half closed his eyes, breathing in Creed's atmosphere and mood. All he sensed there was peace. Up close, he could still hear the thundering of Creed's heart beating in his chest and the heavy pant of his labored breathing. His shine was so bright and wonderful as it shimmered with joy at the pleasure the big man had just received and it washed over him. Combined with the recent hit of rich, lovely plasma, Kimble couldn't help but give another small shudder of pleasure.

"Liked that, did you?" Sabretooth growled from above him, his voice slightly slurred from being so high. Kimble's empathic backwash had rinsed his mind clean of all his torments and he was tripping as merrily as the one who had made it possible. "So did I. I don't know what ya done ta me, but I like it. You belong ta me now and I'm lookin' forward ta doin' that again soon. Real soon." He gave Kimble's neck a lick as he continued to caress Kimble's belly in an oddly tender gesture, a token of his appreciation, of his acceptance.

"Yes, Master..." Kimble whispered, a small smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

The smile pleased him and Creed laughed. "Yer all right, kid," he teased Kimble with a grin and patted him on the back with a heavy, clawed hand. He then pulled away, giving Kimble a shove back onto his hands and knees.

Kimble groaned from the separation, not wanting Creed to leave him. It occurred to him with finality that with Kyle dead and the X-men nowhere in sight, that he'd just changed handlers again. He had started out as Leon's defender, but he was still a Courtesan and would always be someone's property. Now he belonged to this monster, one that didn't care who he had been before or what he had done. He laughed a little at the irony that he had come all this way to finally find someone who actually wanted to use him as his creator had intended. In spite of the insanity of it all, it felt so good, so very good.

"What?" Victor growled when he heard Kimble laugh.

Kimble smiled up at him, no longer afraid. "Life's a funny thing. Never know just how it's gonna turn out, is all. One minute yer shootin' up my boss, the next yer givin' me the best fuck I've had in weeks. Well, what do ya know 'bout that?"

At first Creed was angry at Kimble's boldness, that was most inappropriate for a possession, but then he smiled when he saw that Kimble was merely acknowledging that he knew the score. Kimble was property, his property. The idea of owning this angelic new toy filled Creed with an odd feeling of satisfaction and made the big man smile even broader, showing his long canine teeth. He'd had every intention of moving on from Kimble to some sport with Leon but he was so high and so thoroughly satisfied he simply no longer felt the desire.

Kimble watched as his new Master picked up his clothes and dressed. The woman who had fed him was still standing there. She had watched her boss fucking him and was clearly aroused by what she had witnessed.

Creed laughed at her. "He's all yers, Mary. You can do what ya want with him, just save some fer me later." He looked back at Kimble. "I'm gonna take yer Leon now, put him aside someplace nice an' safe. So long as ya don' pull nuthin' stupid, yer boy'll be all right. You readin' me?"

"Yes, Master," Kimble said soft and low. He hadn't needed Sabretooth's threat, all he felt was a powerful longing for those big arms to simply swallow him up and take him all over again. It was irrational, but there was no denying the strength of his desire. He was tired now, but judging from the look Mary was giving him, he wasn't going to get a rest anytime soon. He chuckled softly. From famine to feast.

He felt Mary's heat as she came near and gave himself over to her, losing himself in her touch. He'd never had sex with an actual supplier of his power and wasn't prepared for the wonderful insanity that followed. He didn't know what felt better, the constant stream of plasma sending him sky high or the blast from her heat and desire pouring into him. All of Creed's abuse faded away into oblivion and he was swept away. He was so high and so used up by the time she was finished, he didn't last five minutes before he was out cold and asleep on the floor. He never felt it when Davis came for him eventually and carried him away to a separate holding cell to be put to bed.

----------------

Victor Creed sat at his desk, his face the picture of contentment. His eyes were closed and he was almost purring from being so well pleased. He was surprised by his own feelings of contentment. Even now, an hour later, the voices of rage were still muted. He had a sense this wouldn't last, but he enjoyed this time while he had it. He'd had a nice long shower and felt wonderful. He lit a cigarette and poured a glass of nice aged whiskey. As he sipped it, he was struck by how good it tasted and how he was much more aware of what was around him. He had cracked the window and could smell the warmth of the late September air. With the rage so nicely abated, he was free to enjoy things again as a normal man would. He would have to play some more with his new toy again, just to see if this momentary peace was a fluke or something else. It was almost too much to hope for that he'd finally found something that made him happy.

Sabretooth was pleased with his new guest. It was difficult for him to find anyone who could stand up to his punishment like that, never mind get off on it. He didn't completely understand what had happened between them. He didn't comprehend that the only reason Kimble had gotten off was through a manipulation of his own emotions, he thought Kimble had gotten off just because the pilot had liked what had been done to him. He wondered if Kimble was some kind of sicko...much like himself, he teased himself with a grunt. He had no illusions about himself. He was a monster and had come to terms with it long ago.

He marveled at Kimble's endurance. Kimble had done him twice in rapid succession and still had enough for Mary. He had heard her cries of passion even from the lock up where he had taken Leon. It was enough to make him shiver all over again with renewed lust. _Whoever had made this marvelous toy should be praised_, he thought to himself. _Just hope he can maintain the pace_. Creed was curious by nature and wondered just what Kimble's limits were.

Sabretooth looked up as Mary came slinking into his office. She had showered but he could still see the glow on her face and smelled her satisfaction. "Please tell me you're not going to turn him over to Jael," she purred.

"I ain't decided yet. Figure I'll keep him around a bit, turn him over when I git bored."

"I'll give you Jael's three million for him."

Creed cocked his head in surprise. He knew she had the money, it's just that she'd never offered it to him before like this. "I'll think about it. 'Course, if ya want him that badly, I'll be askin' fer a little more."

She looked back at him, her eyes still filled with heat. "Whatever you desire."

Victor just grunted a laugh as she walked out. He yawned and stretched, flexing his claws. Sabretooth's claws were a fearsome thing. They weren't just hooks on the ends of his fingers, he could retract them in and out at will, depending on the amount of damage he desired to inflict at that moment. He didn't have fingernails, these were the real deal. When he had been born, his hands were not normal looking, yet he didn't have the fully developed claws either. As a child of poverty, his stunted looking fingers were blamed on malnutrition or poor breeding. No one knew about mutation then. When he was a teenager and his fingers developed into the weapons of destruction they were today, he took on quick, learning quickly enough how they could be used.

But now, he was just flexing them to enjoy the easy movement. It made him feel powerful, strong. Dog was fully grown now and more than a match for most men. He would never be beaten with a belt ever again. But all that was behind him now. He liked the way he felt at this moment, lightly buzzed... content. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the smile never leaving his face.


	2. Chapter 2

(Two)

The next few days blended into a steady blur for Kimble. He was kept almost constantly high from Mary's plasma. He wasn't sure why he was being kept here instead of being turned over to Jael, but couldn't exactly complain. He was visited regularly by Creed and the gang.

Sabretooth's small band of roughnecks were as insatiable as he was and came around constantly. Creed had compensated them for the delay in turning Kimble over, he had paid them a generous bonus and any grumbling about the botched job had ceased at once. Now their attention was turned to Kimble and his affect on their boss. They saw how Creed had gotten off on Kimble and wanted a piece of that for themselves. They had to be sneaky about it -- Creed was possessive of his little toy, he wanted Kimble available to him at any time. Anyone in his place when he sought out the pilot for his own use was likely to be killed. Kimble could care less, he obliged Sabretooth's men, he was a whore after all, but Zander withheld the backwash. It was his insurance, he had to keep Kimble valuable so they wouldn't get killed. He sensed in Victor a need to be the top dog and if Kimble played out his special trick to everyone, Creed might not keep him.

Zander didn't want to go to Jael, he wanted to get back to Remy. Somehow he would have to work this out. He remembered Remy's cell phone number and would be sure to use it at his earliest convenience. First, he had to get Kimble out of his obligation to Leon and manipulate both the Lover and the Quitter into going back. They had been safe at the X-Mansion, safe from Lakotashay's suicidal tendencies, or at least happy enough to keep her from hurting anyone like she had with the security guard and the male prostitutes. He knew Remy would help them, it had been there in his eyes, in the promise of becoming their Master if he had the chance.

'Shay was put out over not being able to kill them, but part of her was starting to mind it less and less. Most of Sabretooth's gang were men. With the Lover back in control, she was having a grand time sharing with anyone who came to them. Kimble knew how to handle the men best and she felt such pleasure, more than she was capable of on her own. At first she had sputtered protests about Leon's mysterious God punishing them, but both Zander and Kimble were quick to remind her that fucking was what they had been created for in the first place. How could something that felt so good be bad? She agreed grudgingly. She was still crafty and cruel and was there to point out to Kimble what a great place this was when Sabretooth came for his turn, he pounded Kimble every time.

Creed's fucking was brutal, there was no way around it. He came at the pilot, fists flying and teeth biting, forcing Kimble to use his empathy all the time to tone things down. That's what Creed wanted, really. He craved the backwash far more than sex alone and brutalized Kimble to get it. It started out as a matter of survival on Kimble's part, but had now become some sort of twisted game. There was no foreplay, no kissing or fooling around. Kimble would greet Sabretooth with a smile every time the man came to the door, but as soon as the cell was unlocked and he stepped inside, Kimble would flee.

Victor would chase him down quickly and slam against the wall, taking him forcefully. Kimble's consent made it less than rape, but it was still brutal. He always took Kimble from behind. There were a couple of reasons for this -- mostly it was a dominance thing, he had to be on top, the one forcing this. The other big reason was that he refused to completely acknowledge Kimble was a man. Creed wasn't gay, he never had been. He wasn't even truly bi-sexual. He wanted to smash his victim down and took what he could get. He was turned on by the submission, by the act of dominating someone else and doing whatever he wanted with them. But he was becoming slowly addicted to Kimble's backwash, almost to the point where no one else would satisfy. He still stubbornly refused to admit he could only find true pleasure with a creature who was so clearly male.

Kimble tolerated the pain to get that which he had craved for so long now. He was something desired, wanted just as he was. Creed accepted him and used him frequently, sometimes as often as three times a day. Not once had the guy asked him about past crimes or looked at him like he was garbage. On the contrary, the guy was coming more and more often, fucking him oh so sweetly once his mind was blanketed in Kimble's warm fuzzy backwash, "the glow" he was coming to call it. "Give me the glow!" he would demand, and Kimble did.

Kimble didn't care about the bruises and the bite marks. Victor's desire for him made all of that worthwhile. He wouldn't be desired if he wasn't accepted, that was the Lover's twisted logic, and none of the other personalities denied it. Leon was becoming less and less important to them.Kimblewas made to be a Courtesan and was now being treated as one, something the Lover would only thrive on. Kimble's days had evolved into whoring for Creed's men to pass the time until Sabretooth himself came for him. He would be savagely taken until he gave Creed the glow and then it was so good...so good. Kimble would shake and shiver, cumming harder and harder each time.

There wasn't much after play, in spite of Sabretooth's obvious happiness. He would sometimes pet Kimble's head or play with his hair some, but they never kissed. Kimble would try, but Creed backed off quickly, wanting none of it. Quite frankly, the guy didn't know how. Kissing was what lovers did and he had never been in love, not for real. Not with anyone who had wanted him. He wasn't in love with Kimble, he refused. He couldn't love anybody, least of all a man. Kimble didn't push the issue, he was the slave here. If the Master didn't want to be kissed, so be it. There was always Mary.

Mary came to Kimble to feed him as she used him herself. She had her own way of wanting things and the humble Lover was ever eager to oblige her. Like the high class Courtesan that he was, he adapted to each user, changing himself to suit their needs. She wanted him subservient and so he was. He would crouch down at her ankles and lick her feet, submissive and ready to do anything she wished. His compliance thrilled her beyond measure. Mary was very dominant and loved to see men cower. She wasn't as savage a killer as Creed, but had a cold merciless heart. Kimble's willingness to grovel and humiliate himself for her was an instant turn on. She at least did like to cuddle some after and let him kiss her. If she was feeling especially comforting and loving, she would let him suckle her breasts because he was so gentle.

Mary repaired all the damage from Sabretooth's savage loving. She never commented, but sometimes frowned if it was bad enough. Those moments were the ones she was more likely to mother him and he loved her for it. She would touch him and all of his hurts would go away. It was a vicious cycle the Lover found himself in, but in light of all the bad things that had happened to him since he left Xavier's, he tolerated this better than the rejection he'd felt there.

Kimble had been sneaking out of the Mansion looking for love and acceptance and it had found him, just not the way he had expected. He didn't have to seduce Creed or the others, they all sought him out. Kimble took this as a sign that he was truly wanted and needed for the first time since he'd come to this strange new world. It didn't matter that he was beaten and hit and clawed, because this time, the hate and loathing didn't come with it. Creed didn't do this to punish him or because he was despised, Victor needed the outlet and Kimble provided it. As far as the Lover was concerned, they'd found themselves a new home.

-----------------------------------------------------

Kimble lay warm and comfortable in Sabretooth's holding cell. It was hot and close in here, or maybe it was just the plasma, he was almost constantly high now. He didn't know or care. He was on his back, his legs slightly spread, a blanket draped across his belly. He had kicked it off his legs, he was so hot. In his mind, a conversation was being held, a happy one for once. He was stoned and in his present contentment, didn't care that the words were leaking out of his mouth. This had happened so often since he'd been melted, it had become normal to him.

"So what are we doin', Kim?" Zander grumbled.

Kimble's eyes were half open and dreamy. He shifted his legs open and closed, swaying slightly as he moved. He liked how the movement caused the air to ripple over him. He was naked and fully aroused. He no longer wore the restraining collar, it had become apparent early on it was a waste of time. The holding cells were protected with containment beams like the ones the X-men used, Kimble wouldn't be able to phase out of the room anyway. Kimble kept up his restless movement and the blanket slipped to the floor, unnoticed. Mary's plasma was even more potent than Leon's, he was tripping quite nicely and mumbled, "Nuthin'...we ain't doin' nuthin'..."

"No, stupid! When we bustin' outta here?"

"I ain't goin' nowheres."

"This sucks! We cain't train here! This ain't no good!" Zander complained.

Zander was angry, but he hadn't spoken that loudly. He did catch the attention of the guards, however. They had been sitting at their little table, playing cards. Kimble had woken from a nap only minutes before. Now he was mumbling and no longer quiet. One of the men got up and stood closer to Kimble's cell where he could listen unseen by the captive within.

"This place seems all right ta me," Kimble said happily. He scratched at his belly contentedly and considered jerking off. Nah, his Master would be coming soon. Better not waste it.

"I likes it, too," Lakotashay piped in. "I likes the Master 'n what he does. He hits us real nice."

The guard stepped back, a little startled by the change in Kimble's voice. It sounded like there was more than one person in the cell, but the pilot was alone, he'd been checked up on only a few minutes before he woke up.

"Aw, c'mon! You guys suck!" Zander whined. "I don' see how yous guys kin just sit back an' take his shit like that."

The guard stepped back again and waved his buddy over. This was getting interesting.

Kimble grunted a laugh at the Punisher. "Yous guys dumped me cold back at Cam's. You didn' care that I wuz hurtin' so bad. Now you kin all jus' sit back an' see how you likes it."

"I knows what it feels like well enough," Zander complained. "I been watchin' you screw up all this time. Got a back seat fer 'Shay's little show, too. Don' know which one is worse, her killin' evraone in sight or you tryin' ta fuck evrathin' that moves. Maybe it's about time I took over fer good."

Kimble just grunted another laugh. "Yeah, right. The Master likes me cuz I kin fuck ten times better'n you. You cain't fuck worth shit!"

"That ain't true! I kin fuck jus' fine, you'll see! I'll slam that fucker down an' make him squeal!"

"The Master don' likes it like that, none of 'em do 'cept Mary 'cause she's a girl. Him and the guys wants us ta be the girl sos we are. That's jus' how it is."

"Yeah, I likes it jus' fine," 'Shay said in agreement.

The two guards just looked at each other and laughed quietly, shaking their heads. They didn't know if what they were hearing was real. Either way, the boss's new toy was having a grand old time in there by himself.

"Besides..." Kimble continued, "...there ain't no one fer you ta punish here. We're gitten' used right an' it's about fuckin' time. This is how it's suppozta be. We wuzn't made fer no fightin'."

"Sheyman said we hafta learn, Kim. We gots ta be strong fer our angel."

"Not that stupid bullshit again! Alla that is jus' a lie. Jus' like he said he wuz gonna come back fer us. He ain't cummin' an' neither is that angel. Right now, I don' much care."

The guards startled a little as Creed was heard coming down the hall. One of them caught his attention and waved him over, shushing him. Creed was a little irritated, thinking it was some kind of stupid game, but his eyes opened wide when he heard Kimble's voices speaking aloud. His enhanced hearing let him discern every word.

Lakotashay was giggling. "I likes it when the Master pulls our hair, don't you, Kim?"

"Hmm...it's jus' nice bein' used. I ain't been this busy since Siska. Fergot jus' how nice it wuz."

"Well, I likes it when he hits us, too. He gots ta do it harder, though. You kin ask him ta hits us harder, won't you, Kim?" 'Shay insisted. She loved her pain, but mostly got a kick out of Kimble's suffering. When he was damaged, he had to wait for Mary to fix him. There were times when the pain got to him and he would cry a little. 'Shay was happy then, it gave her an excuse to taunt the Lover.

Kimble didn't answer his internal sister. He had closed his eyes and was humming softly now as he gave into his arousal. He hand had strayed from his belly, lower. He stroked himself playfully and thought of the Master's warm body so close. He didn't really like the pain, it was the intense vibrations of happiness and joy from the big man that roused him. Creed's shine was so bright, making his vibrations stronger and more pleasurable than anyone else's. Hopelessly aroused now, Kimble grunted softly and rolled over onto his side towards the wall, pushing his feet against the bricks as his hand moved swifter still.

Creed had heard enough. His sensitive ears had picked up the sounds of Kimble's busy hand and he had heard the change in the pilot's breathing. He knew what Kimble was up to. The voices had surprised him until he recalled Kimble's change in speech the first day he had come here. Apparently that had been no fluke. He didn't much care if Kimble was broken or not. The rest of him seemed to work just fine. He grunted softly, dismissing the guards, and moved to where Kimble could see him.

"Hey, Kim. What's going on?"

Kimble didn't startle, he had actually sensed his new Master was near. He rolled his head back and smiled at him. "Jus' waitin' fer you. You wanna play some more?"

Victor grinned, loving that smile. He would never admit to anyone, but that smile warmed him every time. It was like a big hug, telling him someone out there was actually glad to see him. So strange to feel it, to feel that love. "Yeah, I wanna play."

He pressed the button that sealed Kimble inside and stepped inside the holding cell.

Kimble played the game and flew off the bunk, running away. He never made a sound as Creed grabbed him roughly and tossed him up against the wall. There was some pain at first as he was crushed painfully against the bricks and his arms were bruised from the hands that gripped him without mercy. He felt a moment of ripping pain as Creed barged into him without the grace of lubricant. Then the waves of Sabretooth's pleasure and happiness hit him and he laughed, paying no attention to the tears of pain that streamed from his eyes. He was oblivious to the darkness that seeped out from under his Master's fingers as the bruises slowly grew from the intense pressure of Creed's passion. His skin damaged easily and quickly showed the abuse for all to see. He cared not. Mary would come and make it all go away. All he wanted now was the rush of his Master's heartbeat in his head and it wasn't long in coming.

He released his powerful empathy and let Creed feel his love and the joy of being fucked, of being wanted and used like this. Sabretooth grunted as the warm, glowing emotion poured into him and caressed his brain. He calmed immediately and Kimble sighed in relief. They moved together in perfect rhythm and it wasn't long before the guards were snickering at the Master's loud cry of release. They hadn't gone far, they liked to watch the show on the small video monitors nearby.

When it was over, Sabretooth sat back and Kimble relaxed against him. The Lover loved to lay his head against Creed's chest and listen to his heart pound and the heaving of his breath. He had done this, he had caused his Master to shiver and shake and feel like the whole world was coming down. He sensed the white bliss of Victor's now whitewashed mind and was satisfied. It was free and clear of those mumbling rages and hatreds with no meaning. The Master was happy now, calm.

Creed brushed a heavy clawed hand over Kimble's chest. It was becoming easier and easier for him to give this one affection. He was growing to like this as well, the way a Master loves to pet his dog. "You okay, Kim?"

Kimble's eyes had closed and his face held the look of total rapture. "Yes, Master."

"Then why're you in here talkin' all funny? You spooked the boys some."

Kimble grunted a laugh without moving. He was much too comfortable. "Maybe I gots too much time on my hands. When ya leaves fer workin' next time...takes me with you."

Creed considered his options. He was still too concerned that Kimble would try to escape. He would need more motivation than Kimble's loneliness. He didn't believe for a minute that Kimble was sincere about really wanting to be with him. He knew full well this was some kind of bizarre rape thing he didn't completely understand. Kimble had to be looking for a way out. He countered by saying, "I heard ya talkin' in voices b'fore. When ya first come here. You weren't so lonely then."

"You really shure 'bout that?"

"What does that mean?"

"I wuzn't even out. Zander called me ta do fer you. You loved me so nice I decided to stay. Didn't have no reason b'fore."

"Maybe you should try explainin' that one again, kid. I didn't quite catch it."

Kimble looked up into Creed's face. "If I toldja I wuz crazy, would ya makes me leave?"

"Nope. We're all crazy here. 'Specially me. I could give a shit less. What's so special 'bout you?"

"I gots people in my head. There's me an' 'Shay an' Zander."

Victor just laughed. This had to be some kind of joke. Kimble wanted attention or something, maybe he was making up stories. Sabretooth had heard of split personalities, but never believed they were real. It was just some stupid excuse to get people to notice you or some such garbage. He ruffed Kimble's hair and moved away to dress. "Right. Whatever you say, kid."

Kimble whined softly as Creed withdrew. The Master was finished now, he was leaving. "Please don't go."

"Unlike you, I've got work to do. I got an out of town job, gonna be away a few days."

Kimble's heart shattered. The Master was leaving! A few days! "But-but - !" Kimble started to sputter, but Sabretooth held up a finger to silence him.

"Don't you worry. The boys here will be around. You won't be alone."

"It ain't the same as you," Kimble replied honestly. Sabretooth was his Master and he had already given himself over. No one else would really satisfy him. He started to follow Creed as he made for the door but was again held back by a raised hand. The Master didn't like him hanging on him, Kimble had learned that lesson early. If he got too grabby, he would be slapped with no love vibration to follow. Those blows always hurt because Creed didn't hold back. They were meant to deter him and they did, painfully. Kimble feared the sting of his Master's hand and obeyed. He crouched down to the floor submissively. "Takes me with you," he repeated, lowering his voice out of respect.

"I can't take ya where I'm goin'. It ain't safe. Besides, I can't work with you around. You distract me too much," Victor said with some affection. He had grown very fond of the pilot's special abilities. "Stay here an' sleep."

Kimble smiled up at him, recognizing the compliment he'd been given. He watched as Creed walked away, the Master's shine now shimmering with contentment, and thought his heart was going to burst with happiness. He was loved! The Master wanted him around. Heck! Somebody actually needed him! He had value, real value. He had a feeling he wasn't going to be in this cell much longer. The thought of it thrilled him. He wasn't the only one.

"So when're we bustin' out, Kim?" Zander repeated.

"The Master loves us..." Kimble breathed softly. His voice had gone soft and dreamy like before.

"He's jus' usin' us fer the backwash, kid. Don't git all excited."

"So what if he's usin' us. That's what we wuz made for. To be used."

Zander grumbled but Kimble was all done arguing. He climbed back up on the cot and curled up in the blanket. He was a little colder now that the Master had left. His body was using plasma to repair the damage done to him by Creed, but he wasn't fully cognizant that it was happening. He would sleep and the bruises would slowly fade. Whatever was left, Mary would fix.


	3. Chapter 3

(Three)

Remy bolted awake in his bed, drenched in sweat. He gasped and heaved for air, trembling violently. He'd had another stupid fucking nightmare. They were coming more and more often. It was always the same -- he'd pick up some gorgeous girl and they'd be making love. He'd be groovin', diggin' it like nothing else, and then just when he'd be ready to climax, his new found empathy would get out of control. He'd freak out and then all the stuff in the room would explode, charged by his bio-kinetic energy. In this case, the girl herself had exploded, blowing chunks and gore all over him. It was a Seamus flashback, no doubt.

Remy fumbled at his light and snatched at the pack of cigarettes there on his night stand. Henry's admonition against smoking hadn't lasted. He'd stopped taking the anti-depressants, too. It didn't seem like they helped much, he was moody and sullen most of the time now with or without the damn medicine. What he needed wouldn't come from a pill. He needed a good honest lay, one without fear. It didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon. He didn't have the confidence to try, not just yet. He was terrified he would injure someone. He had never killed anyone with his power, not directly, and had no urge to change that.

These thoughts swamped him and he was filled with a dark cloud of depression. "Fuck dis!" he snarled and got dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of loose sweatpant cut off shorts. He grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels from his dresser and walked out.

Remy loved the Mansion's widow's peak. It was high and solitary and he was pretty much the only one who went there. He went up the small flight of stairs and out into the night. He was startled to find the space occupied, Molly was there, sitting up on the wide railing and looking out over the grounds. She was dressed in light purple pajamas, comfortable in the late summer air.

She turned and looked at him, her eyes wide with fear from his unannounced entry. Even in the moonless night, Gambit's sharp eyes were keen enough to see she had been crying. All of his gloomy thoughts vanished as he held up a cautionary hand and said softly, "Easy, dere, chere. Gambit ain't gonna hurt ya, girl."

Molly wiped at her face, hopelessly embarrassed. **_I'm okay_,** she signed, keeping her eyes down.

Remy came out onto the peak and sat next to her on the railing. Another thing he loved about the peak was the nice wide railing, it just begged to be sat upon and kept company. He smiled at her. "Looks like Gambit ain't de only one losin' sleep dis night. Si bien, Gambit could use de company."

Molly returned his smile. She'd had a nightmare herself and had come up here to get away. Where before she had only wanted to be alone, she was now grateful Remy had come. She liked his company. _**What's that?** _she asked, pointing to the bottle.

"It's my buddy Jack. You want some?" he asked, not caring in the least that she was so clearly underage. He was never one to pay much mind to rules, not this thief.

**_Is it good?_**

Gambit snickered. "Now dat's a matter of opinion. Jus' cause Gambit likes it don' mean it's good. 'Sides, he's in it more fo' de aftereffect, not what it taste like goin' down, eh?"

Remy cracked the bottle and drank a shot, feeling the fire of it warm his belly. He handed her the bottle, testing her courage. She frowned a little at the smell, but took a big swallow like Remy had. Her eyes widened and she coughed and spluttered, gagging.

Remy laughed, enjoying this immensely. Newbies, what a thrill. "Wow, chere. You gaspin' louder dan one of dem whales done washed up on de shore! You okay, petite?" He patted her back, snickering.

**_Yeah, great. Just fine,_** she signed, still coughing but laughing now. It tasted horrible, but she liked the way it had warmed her up inside.

Remy took the bottle back and wiped the mouth, she had coughed all over it. He took another big hit and grinned at her, all proud of himself that he'd taken it down so easy.

She humphed at him and took it back.

"Okay, chere. Is you funeral," he said with a grin.

Braver now, she knocked back the bottle again, drinking a good sized shot.

" 'Ey, easy dere. You gonna git all drunk, you take it down too fast. It's cool you drinkin' it down an' all, but Gambit don' wanna see ya pukin' all over de roof now, y' hear?"

Molly laughed, happy now. She had managed to keep this hit down as well, but was feeling a little buzzed. She had never really drunk alcohol before and had no tolerance. She did not possess a healing factor like dear old Dad. She pointed at Remy's cigarettes, but he shook his head. "No, way, petite. Dat's one bad habit you ain't gettin' from me. Death on a stick, dese."

**_Then why do you smoke?_**

Gambit shrugged. "Don' really know. Guess I got some kinda death wish or sumptin'. It real 'ard to quit. Pretty stupid, huh?"

**_Yeah, _**she signed, smiling a bit. A moment later she added,**_ Why are you so sad all the time?_**

Remy balked, startled by the question. She had been the one up here crying after all. He shrugged and tried to hide his pain. "Gambit lost sumptin' dat was precious to 'im. Ain't gonna be happy 'til 'e gets it back."

_**Is it that Kimble guy? The one everyone is so upset about?**_

"Oui. Me an' him, we was good friends."

Things had quieted here at the house, but Remy still wasn't quite well. He had watched as Logan recovered from the Punisher's abuse, the last question in his mind left unanswered. Yes, he knew now what Logan's secret was, but it wasn't enough. It didn't explain Kimble's breakdown nor Zander's brutal punishment. Remy wasn't a complete idiot. He could put two and two together. Logan had been raped sometime in his past and reacted badly when Kimble had tried to kiss him. Logan freaked and words had come out his mouth, bad words. Logan hadn't confessed to what exactly he'd said and Remy had been biding his time, under orders from Henry to let Wolverine heal.

Still, Remy suspected what had gone on. He had asked himself, what could Logan say that would make Kimble shatter? Kimble already knew of Logan's dislike for him. "I hate you, you perverted little asshole" wasn't going to be enough. No, it would have to be something worse than that. He trembled at the thought. He knew Sheyman's admonition, "Never take without asking." If Logan had accused the Lover of rape, that might just be the trigger for Kimble's breakdown. But would a stolen kiss be enough for Logan to say such a thing? No, there had to be more. Holly. It had to be Holly. Logan just didn't understand Kimble had been reaching out, even after he had tried to explain it. Logan was stubborn, he just didn't want to hear it. His mind had been made up. Kimble had been condemned, bring in the accused, the hanging will now begin.

Wolverine's words had been powerful and damaging. Kimble had tried to destroy himself, so upset he had been. The Quitter came in and took over after Kyle saved him and then things just got ugly. Now Kimble was killing. Now Kimble was gone again.

Remy felt a surge of hatred for Logan swell up inside of him and did his best to shove it back. His emotions had been way out of whack since he'd first tried to use this empathy, a door had been opened in his mind and the demon was loose. He now had a better understanding of poor Rogue when she had her PMS outbreaks. He used to tease her incessantly about it because she would scream and cry for no reason, fly off the handle over tiny insignificant things. He was going through something like that now himself. He was swamped from all sides from vibrations and spanking himself constantly with his guilt while choking back an ever increasing irrational rage. He was fighting a near constant craving he had no explanation for, that nothing ordinary would satisfy. He hoped it was just his libido complaining at not being fed. But he couldn't be sure. Not until he dared to put it to the test, something he wasn't ready for just yet.

The only moments of peace he had was in the company of the newest X-men, Seth and Molly. Seth's innocence and natural passivity calmed him and made him smile. They would use the Internet to search out their prey, dearest Kimble. They had no success, but had a blast none the less, Gambit showing Seth hacker sites and snickering when they came across porno sites along the way. Seth was shy and naive, he knew very little and Remy just loved to shock him with pictures of bizarre sex and doctored pictures of women with oversized breasts and such. Remy would wiggle his eyebrows suggestively and Seth would laugh and move on. He was naturally curious, but Fallen was all he would ever need.

Remy was also growing to enjoy Molly very much. They liked a lot of the same things and were two of the youngest people in this large click of mutants. They had fallen into a sort of routine, showing up to watch X-files at the same time in the common room, eating the same junk food. She was gracious and laughed at all of his jokes, making him smile. He honestly wished she wasn't so young, he had seen a scowl of disapproval on Logan's face more than once, though the guy said nothing. He would just hover close by, making sure Gambit's hands stayed in the proper place as if Kimble's perversion for fresh young meat had rubbed off on him. Logan had grown protective of his niece and Remy knew his ass would be squashed flat if he made any kind of move on her.

Remy regarded her now. "So you gonna tell Gambit what you doin' up here, chere?"

_**I had a nightmare.**_

"Seems like you an' me got sumptin' in common. How 'bout you tell me 'bout it? Might make ya feel better, non?"

_**I dreamt about the Lion Man.**_

"Who's dat?"

Molly sighed softly, fresh tears leaking out of her eyes. **_I wasn't always like this, I used to live with my Mom and I could talk and sing. I really miss that, I used to sing all the time. My Mom bought me records of children's songs and we'd sing and dance. We lived in this great big house with a nice big yard where I used to run and play. I never had a Daddy, but I didn't care, I had my mother and my sister. I was so happy then._**

Molly sniffed and wiped at her face, taking a breath before she continued._**When I was four, a man broke into our house. He was big and mean, scary. He had these great big claws on his hands and big sharp teeth. He didn't say anything, he just came in growling and screaming, breaking glass and the furniture. He chased us through the house. He killed my Mom and my sister.**_

"You 'ad a sister?"

**_Yeah, we were twins. Her name was Sandy. We looked exactly the same and I loved her so much. We used to play and hide all of the time. When the Lion Man came into the house, me and my sister ran away and hid in the closet. It was big and deep inside, we used to play hide and seek in there all the time. The Lion Man came and found us anyways, smelling us with his nose. I could hear him sniffing as he came closer and closer. He found us in there and he got Sandy first. He took my sister and killed her, ripping her apart with his claws. He...he grabbed me and did this..._** She pointed to her neck and the jagged scar there. **_Karen thinks I made him up, but he did this to me. It's so ugly and terrible._**

"Easy, girl," Remy said, brushing the tears from her face. "You ain't de only one scarred 'round 'ere."

_**It's ugly.**_

Remy smiled at her sadly and slowly stripped off his shirt. "Non, dis is ugly."

Her eyes widened and she touched his chest lightly with her fingers. **_Wow, these look just like mine. As if they were made by the same monster._**

Molly could have no idea just how true her words were. She hadn't been told about her father, nor had Remy. It was a secret kept by those few who knew. It was considered irrelevant and no one wanted to upset Molly unnecessarily. Remy had passed off Logan's protectiveness of Molly as a side effect of his relationship with Karen, the psychologist regarded Molly as her daughter or a younger sister at least. Neither one of these two young people knew just what they were looking at now as they compared scars.

"Dey was made by a monster, oui. Long time ago. Back when Gambit wasn't always so nice. Got clawed by a real bad man. Looks like Gambit's got a Lion Man just like you. Dream about it sometimes, too. But I don' let 'im get to me. Dat would be givin' 'im power over me an' I won't ever do dat. You gotta do de same, chere, or you never gonna be free of it."

Molly looked up into his eyes and saw his compassion and caring for her. She felt a surge of happiness and a blast of heat that rocked her more than the liquor had. She leaned in and kissed him in a reckless move, spurned on by a feeling she didn't understand.

Remy swooned, startled by her vibration of happiness and then her innocent lust. It shot right into his brain and right down to his crotch. He couldn't stop himself from returning her kiss and enjoying it. His hands found her hair and he was making out with her, kissing her thoroughly and tasting the heat of her tiny little mouth. He could taste the whiskey there and it almost drove him mad. It took a full minute for his brain to kick into gear, alarm bells screaming, and he pulled away from her, his eyes wide. He was trembling badly now, his pants horribly tight and uncomfortable. He wanted to bolt, but didn't want to frighten her.

"You don't want any of dis," he whispered, his voice thick now with desire.

**_Please..._** she signed and came closer, seeking more. She was on fire now, all hunger and need. Never had she been kissed like that, nor had she felt such a burning inside. She wanted his hands on her, his mouth on her lips again.

"Non," he said with gentle insistence. Lord have mercy, this was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He wanted her badly, he could see her tumbling down into his arms, shivering and shaking from his touch. How he would make her virgin body explode with ecstacy. He swallowed heavily and retreated. "You a young girl, petite. You still a child."

_**I am not!** _she signed, growing upset.

"How old are you, fille, eh? You ain't a day over sixteen."

She didn't answer. Her sixteenth birthday was a good six months away.

"Look, girl. Gambit's yo' friend, but dat's it. Dere can't be nuthin' else, comprenez?"

She started to pull away from him, but he grabbed her hand. "Look, now. Don't you be runnin' away. Gambit already lose one friend over sumptin' stupid. Don' wanna be losin' another. Dis ain't gonna come 'tween us. Don' make Gambit sorry he come out here and try to make you feel better."

She cried a little more and he shushed her, wiping her tears away. "Paisible maintenant, chere. Quiet, dere. Hush now." He pulled her close but kept that dangerous, luscious mouth of hers turned away. "Gambit knows it's hard. He been right where you are. So young, so full of fire. Just you gotta wait. Yo' time will come."

She sniffed and signed, **_Can I have another drink?_**

He chuckled softly and gave her the bottle. "You an' me, both."

She drank and the moment passed. He felt it and was never more grateful. That had been too close for comfort. "How 'bout dis boy walk you down to your room? It awful late, chere."

She nodded but wobbled when she tried to stand. She was drunk now, her tiny body not used to the large shots she had taken in so quickly. She giggled, the tense moment gone and her good humor returning. He steadied her and they quieted as they entered the house. He escorted her back to her room, praying Logan was nowhere near and saw her safely back to bed. He went back to his tiny room and crawled into his bed, warmed by her. Her kiss still burned on his mouth and he used it to help him pleasure himself, jerking off as a means to relax, to quell the rising emotions within him. He wouldn't really touch her, he didn't dare. But he vowed to be much more careful. His eyes slid shut, weary now and he slipped back into sleep, a small smile there. He didn't dream again.

----------------

Wolverine was crouched in the big backyard tree where the picnic table was, invisible in the blackness of the night. He loved this big tree and the outdoors gave him peace. It had been a week since Zander had shot him and it had been hard. Even now his body still ached inside if he jumped around or tried to do too much. He had no room to complain really. He'd easily lost a third of his body mass, it was a miracle his healing factor had been able to repair that much damage.

He still remembered that strange episode where Remy had worked some kind of magic and stolen his secret from him. He had waited for Gambit to follow up on it and pester him for more, but the boy had backed off, no doubt waiting for him to recover. It wasn't a confrontation he was looking forward to. In his heart, Logan was an arrogant, proud man, he never liked to admit it when he fucked up. The fight was sure to be big and ugly. Maybe Kimble would come home soon and Remy would be more forgiving once he had his toy back.

In the meantime, he had his Karen. His lovely Karen. He trembled at the thought of her, she was so incredibly beautiful to him. So soft and warm, he couldn't help but smile. He'd been carrying around a great big empty hole inside of him for so long, he'd grown used to it being there. Now it was filled and he wondered how he'd ever lived without her. He would curl up and die of she were gone. It was a hard pitiful fact. He wouldn't tell her this, his pride and his will prevented him from such an admission of weakness, but he thought perhaps she could see it. He would catch her looking at him, a small wistful smile on her face.

Wolverine's head turned when he caught a noise. He'd climbed way up high in the tree and it had given him a good view of the house and the widow's peak. Molly come out and he heard her softly crying. He was just about to come down to go to her when he heard Remy come out. Logan paused, his hackles rising.

He had taken on the silent protector role for Molly just as he had done with all of his X-men, but she would always be special to him because she was his blood. He knew she hadn't been told, in fact his voice was the loudest against it. He feared she would seek out her father for revenge or something and get in harm's way. Logan had no doubt as to the identity of the Lion Man. Her growing attraction to Gambit also hadn't gone unnoticed. So far the Cajun hadn't given him any real reason for concern, but he knew Remy was loose. Worse than that was the boy's instability. His swift mood swings concerned him. He didn't know if Remy would freak out or snap at her, maybe he'd do something reckless and take her for a tumble, only to dump her by the wayside after. It would probably be a death sentence for Remy, Logan was not about to stand by and see Molly get used as a rebound cure for Rogue.

Wolverine watched now as Remy offered her comfort and then the bottle. Logan wasn't too concerned about her drinking, he would know if she made a habit of it. If it developed into something, he would be sure to bring it up to Karen. Right now the girl was upset and he didn't see the harm.

Logan had been good and learned his sign language. His sharp eyesight and night vison let him catch most of what she was saying, Remy he could hear well enough even from this distance. Logan's mutation gave him dog range hearing if not better. It had been disconcerting at first until he had trained himself not to get so swamped by it all and use it to his advantage. He was well used to it now and was playing spy. Molly was open to Remy and Logan learned more about the Lion Man than Molly had revealed to him before, he certainly didn't know she'd had a twin sister. Molly's tears of pain hurt him deeply, but his hackles rose again when he saw that kiss.

_Lordy, Lordy, would you look at that_. Wolverine trembled, his teeth clenching tightly. The only thing that saved Remy's life at that point was the thief's quick withdrawal and his firmness in stating his position. He would not pursue her. Logan had heard his fear and his regret. He liked her, but she was too young. _Yeah, no shit, Sherlock_, Logan grumbled to himself. _Good thing you noticed. _

The kids went off to bed and Logan climbed down out of the tree, wincing a little as his weight hit the ground. He was still so incredibly sore. He made his way quietly back into the house, sure to sniff out that each of the two kids were in the rooms they belonged in before going back to his own room. He stayed there long enough to grab a change of clothes before creeping into Karen's room.

They weren't an official item, at least not so far as him moving his clothes yet, so they didn't share the same room. Most agreed it was just a matter of time. She had the better room with the most space. It looked as though Remy might get an upgrade on his living quarters, he would no doubt take Logan's larger room once the feral man gave it up. Karen smiled in her sleep when she felt the weight of her lover disturb the bed and she automatically snuggled down against him. Wolverine felt her come against him and another shudder of pleasure rocked him. Her smell washed over him and the sound of her breathing was the greatest lullaby. He waited to see if she would wake, but when she didn't, smiled anyway and buried his nose in her sweet smelling hair. He closed his eyes and was almost instantly asleep, happy now for perhaps the first time in years.

---------------------------------

The house may have been quiet that night, but not everyone was having bad dreams or nice sweet kisses. Well, not at the moment that Logan's eyes had closed and Remy's soft breathing disturbed the darkness there. Seth sat at his desk, a contented smile on his face. He had left Fallen to sleep after a nice happy tumble, her hair tangled just so and her own lips curled into a wistful smile. He had brushed his lips to her forehead and left her, returning to his Siskan life, the one where the hologram never sleeps, but works diligently on a never ending quest for his lost brother.

Fallen had done some rearranging on the Lucky Dragon. The cage room had been converted into a Master bedroom with solid walls. The two pilot sticks were now in the Main Room with the wall behind them. Fallen wanted privacy now with Seth since he was out and made sure that she got it. Maylee still came by to visit and slept over, often now with Max. The two kids were still young and kept separate for sleeping, Kimble's room had become a temporary guest room.

Gambit had scowled when he first saw this, it was as though Kimble had been dumped or forgotten, but kept his anger to himself. It was an unspoken fact that Kimble's return would not be easy. He was considered a criminal now because of the murder of the security guard and his vicious attack on Logan. Kimble would probably be kept in the holding cells for a while if he did come back and put through a lengthy rehabilitation.

Gambit visited the ship often to spend time with Seth and the young Siskan was grateful for the thief's company. Both kept late hours and Seth loved the attention, he wasn't left as alone as Kimble had been. They would surf the Internet and have a blast, but there were times when Seth was on his own. Fallen had remodeled the tool room as well, giving him his own work space not unlike the control room he used to have when he had been inside the system. He had two powerful desktop computers as well as a laptop. He was working with Henry on integrating the X-men's Shi'ar technology with the Dognan and Siskan stuff Fallen had. It would prove to be mutually beneficial to both of them. Also, in his spare time, Seth was working on his own codes.

The young Siskan wasn't happy with his constant bungling and un-coordination. He was grateful that Fallen had left the bridges in place for him to return to the system. He hadn't gone back yet, indeed was paranoid that he would get trapped there again, but liked having the option open. He was working on discovering what his deficiencies were so he could correct them. He had no illusions about this, it would take a long time and might never happen. It was something he was doing to amuse himself. If he was able to fix the codes, he would make one last dive into the system, upload the changes and depart a free man. The idea of it filled him with happiness.

Next to Seth, on his desk, was one of Kimble's sketches in a frame. He had asked Remy for one and the thief was more than happy to share. Seth had tastefully folded the paper to conceal the sexual nature of it, it was one of Kimble's more graphic portrayals of his love for Remy. Seth had wanted a picture of his brother, he had no stored images or photographs. He didn't want to leave it out in its entirety, he was aware that such things didn't go over well with the humans around him. But there were times when he was alone that he would slip it from its frame and look with wonder on the image Kimble had made. He had no experience whatsoever with this form of sex, Fallen was his one and only sexual partner ever, and had to admit it peaked his curiosity. He was still a Siskan Courtesan inside.

Like Kimble, he found Remy beautiful and wondered about him sometimes, what it would be like to be loved and kissed by him. It was a childish wondering, one born from a naturally inquisitive mind. He couldn't help but be curious about those closest to him and Remy was often around, flashing that charming smile and always trying to cheer him. Remy was naturally affectionate to those he cherished and his fingers would find their way to carefully stroke Seth's head or gently pat his shoulder. Seth liked to be touched and enjoyed the gestures very much, they reminded him of Kimble who had always found it easy to demonstrate his love with physical contact.

Seth knew who he belonged to and had no desire to stray. He could see that Fallen was like the rest of the humans here, she wouldn't understand his curiosity. It was in the protective and jealous way she guarded him sometimes. She didn't share him with many people, they spent most of their time here on the ship and working with Henry on the technology integration. When Seth wanted to explore, Fallen was always with him. Seth learned to keep his musings to himself and said nothing to anyone.

Seth was still learning at a high rate of speed. His desk was large and littered with the debris of spent books and computer discs. For all his discovery, he was no closer to finding his brother. He still ached for any word of Kimble and dreaded that his resurfacing would be as bad if not worse than when the security guard had been killed. It was commonly believed that Kimble was now in the hands of Jael, no one here had any reason to believe Sabretooth wouldn't turn Kimble over and collect his reward. Remy had promised him he would search the tunnels again, he was waiting for Wolverine to recover some more. The two of them together were sure to learn something there.

Remy wouldn't let Seth lose hope. He was quick to reassure, quick to dispense chocolate at the first sign of tears. The thief now had a new habit of keeping bite sized chocolate bars in his deep pockets, just for emergencies. Seth was grateful, still not fully cognizant of how well he was being supported and looked after, the mistakes made with Kimble would not be repeated.

Even Logan would come by and see him. He still wanted to use Seth's hacking abilities to gain access to other systems to get more information on Jael. Seth had broken into SHIELD's high security system using an ingenious back door and now the X-men were feeding happily off of the government's fat cat computer, gorging on information they would have had to pay dearly for without him.

Logan had called up Nick Fury and handed over Kyle's keys as a conciliatory gesture after the bank robbery had gone so far awry. They still had to plead for Kimble's life and this was a gesture of good faith. The safe deposit box Kyle had spoken of contained vast amounts of documents and video files of Cameron's illegal dealings. There was even a clip where Cameron himself ordered Michael to kill. It was enough for SHIELD to go out and arrest him and most of the Freedom Kings. It was all over the news when Cameron Bishop had been arrested along with over half of his Freedom Kings. All had been charged with terrorism and other felonies and sent off to jail -- Cameron Bishop wasn't going to be a problem for anybody ever again. Fury wasn't happy about the keys being withheld at first but understood Logan had been badly damaged. He would be lenient.

Seth was included in the meeting as an example of what a Siskan was and to represent his brother's interests. Handing over Cameron Bishop like that was a big step in getting Kimble incarcerated here at the Mansion for his crime and worked with instead of being tossed into a SHIELD prison. Fury had listened to Seth's impassioned pleas for his brother's life and seemed to understand that Kimble wouldn't be a threat once he was removed from the bad influences warping his poor Siskan mind.

Seth sat at his desk, trying not to let his thoughts wander too far. He was prone to long crying jags when left too long alone, his brother's absence a hard pain to bear. Too late. His eyes strayed once more to the picture at his side. Kimble was a skilled penciller, his own portrait was almost perfect. Seth's eyes misted before he could catch his next breath. "I miss you..." he whispered and then the dam broke and he was bawling softly, alone in the silent night of the ship.


	4. Chapter 4

(Four)

Victor Creed entered his apartment building, growling with impatience. Mary followed him two paces back, his foul mood making her nervous. He stabbed at the button for the elevator and paced restlessly in the car as it rose swiftly up to the penthouse. He'd been working with a small team on a quick assassination job for the past couple of days and had just returned. He was home two days early because he'd rushed on purpose, wanting only to get back here as soon as possible. He'd left some of his men behind to keep an eye on things back at the safehouse but still couldn't help but worry a little. The whole time he was gone, all he could think about was Kimble. His greatest fear was that Jael would discover where he was hiding and steal the boy away from him. The work didn't help his moods any, either. The rages had come back on him with a vengeance, spurred on by the grisly job he'd had to do. He wanted nothing more than the gentle quiet that followed after a quick session with his new toy.

He walked into the room with the holding cells and froze as the smell hit him. Shit and piss, very strong. He growled softly and Mary tugged on him cautiously. "What?"

"Stay here."

The room was long and deep. Creed moved along the short hallway until he found the last two holding cells. He saw Leon first. The boy was curled up on his bunk, he was stripped down and his face covered with bruises, he looked like he had been pistol whipped. He made no sound as Victor approached, his breathing was ragged but steady. Leon had been lightly dozing but then startled when he saw Creed at his door. He started to whimper in fear, but Sabretooth shushed him with a finger. Leon quieted immediately, more terrified of this man than the ones who had abused him. He covered himself deeper under his blankets and shivered.

Creed moved on. His eyes widened in surprise when he next saw Kimble. Here was the source of the smell. Kimble lay in a ball, his face towards the door. He was covered in excrement and grime, it was smeared all over his body and his face. It even looked like he'd been made to eat it.

Kimble had been living here long enough for Sabretooth to learn the pilot wasn't organically alive. It was part of the fascination that Kimble didn't eat or drink anything other than water now and again, and something that had made him all the more appealing. He wasn't human and therefore didn't excrete, this didn't come from himself. Someone had gone out of their way to humiliate him in one of the worst ways possible. Kimble was shivering, but not really awake.

Victor cursed silently, regretting his stupidity. He had seen this before so it shouldn't really have been a surprise. His boys were a rowdy bunch and just as cruel as he was. It wasn't unusual for them to torture a body left in one of the cells. They were usually a little neater than this, but then again, he was home really early. He was sure there had been worse scenes than this that he had missed. He never asked and they didn't boast of it, they didn't have to. The horror was always visible in the eyes of the recipient, just as it was sure to be there in Kim's eyes when he opened them.

What was unusual here was how Victor felt about it. He was truly devastated and furious that this had been done to Kimble, someone he had come to enjoy, the kid always had a smile for him whenever he came to visit. Creed didn't love, he didn't understand what it was because it was something he had never known. He was wasn't supposed to care about anything or anybody, but damn, if he didn't feel a sharp pain from deep inside looking at Kimble so horribly trashed. He should have warned his boys not to touch before he had left, but then this was the first time he was in a position to care what they had done.

"Hey, Kim," Creed said softly.

Kimble tried to open his eyes in response to the sound of his voice. One eye was stuck shut with grime and the other was puffy and swollen. He'd been beaten as well as humiliated and his body was covered with large ugly bruises. He rolled over sloppily and crawled towards Creed on his belly. He was in pain but he was also very weak, no one had fed him either even though Leon was in the next cell.

Normally whenever Victor came to visit Kimble like this, he would smile and even look happy. Now the pilot's face was a contorted mask of pain. He came as close as he could to the containment barrier and lay flat, his legs tucked under him and trembling like a dog who was sure he was about to be whipped. "Master..." he whispered, his voice rough.

"The boys been messin' with you?" It wasn't really a question and Creed couldn't hide his anger.

"N-no, M-Master," Kimble said, his trembling increasing to an almost seizure like state. He felt sure he was going to be punished and was compelled to lie.

Creed knew it and his anger rose another notch. It wasn't helping that the longer he was standing here, the worse Kimble was smelling. Some animals mark their territory with feces and Kimble's reek was reaching deep inside to the feral man within. He felt his personal space had been violated, his boundaries being pushed against and he didn't like it. Not one bit. He turned away and glared at Mary who still lingered just outside the door. He took out his pistol and screwed a silencer into the tip of it. He could smell all four of the men he'd left behind in this room and counted them all equally guilty. He said to Mary, "Take Kim to the penthouse. Clean him up. Go quietly, now."

She nodded, seeing the look of fury on his face and the menace in his words. She was so glad she wasn't part of the gang that had been left behind this time. There was no mistaking the expression of murderous intent on her boss's face. Looked like some replacements would be on order. She obeyed and Sabretooth slid past her out into the hallway.

He moved out into the small living area where his men were housed, it was only one door down from the holding cells and quite close. There he found George and Hardy passed out drunk on the couch, the television still blaring. He took them out with the silencer and moved on. He was in a blinding rage but you would never have known it to look at him. He was the picture of control and calm, a hunter. The only giveaway was the tight clenching of his jaw. He wanted to slash and tear, but wasn't an idiot. These guys were mutants with aggressive powers and worked for him only because they were paid. He couldn't take on all four of them without some damage.

He found the other two in the nearby kitchen. He hesitated outside of the door, listening. They were still drunk and joking around about what fun they'd had. Bob leaned on Charlie. "That boy sure can suck good, huh?"

"Yeah. Good thing the boss won't be back for a couple of days. We'll hose him down and do him some more tonight."

"Do you think he'll tell?"

"Nope. We've got his little boyfriend in the other cell. He'll do whatever we want."

"I still can't believe you made him eat shit like that! Guess it answers the question of if he can puke or not. He was hurling all over the place! Creepy how it shimmers away like that, ain't it?"

Creed had to silence the ripple of fury that made his whole body shake and sensed his eyesight dimming as the rage swept over him. Too late. It couldn't be stopped. He took out Bob quickly with a bullet to the head but tossed the gun and grabbed Charlie by the throat. Charlie's unique talent was the ability to shape shift. It didn't do him any good now. Sabretooth smashed his fist into Charlie's face and gave vent to his anger.

---------------------

Mary shuddered when she heard somebody scream. She was dragging Kimble's body down the hall towards the penthouse apartment. Creed's quarters were kept separate from the rest of his men. She had wrapped Kimble into a blanket, not wanting to touch him, and was tugging him along behind her like a load of laundry. She had seen early that he was too messed up to walk, the beating had been severe and Leon hadn't been allowed to repair him. She had given him some plasma but not enough to repair all the damage. She knew the plasma made him high and didn't want him so zoned out she would be forced to handle him herself.

She ordered him onto the blanket from his holding cell and he had obeyed, his head bowed with shame and tears of humiliation streaming from his eyes. She wasn't about to carry him, he was beyond gross. He reeked of shit and urine and was totally trashed. Like Creed, she had seen this before from his men, although she wasn't one to participate. She was an ice cold killer, but not one to play with her prey, not like that. She did feel a little bad that she had not anticipated this would happen but there was nothing she could do about it now. At least it looked like it wouldn't be happening again anytime soon, judging from the scream that came from the living quarters.

Mary dragged Kimble ever onward to the penthouse door. The penthouse apartment was on the same level as security, but needed a keycode to be accessed. Only she and Creed had the code. She was his Second and often assisted him in his private matters. Mary was no fool, there was only one real way for a woman to get promoted in a gang like this, she had given in and paid the price. She and Creed had been intimate a couple of times, but he was far too abusive for her taste to let it continue past the point of his meager attention span. He had no idea of what foreplay was and was the worst lay she ever had. He had hurt her badly both times and she was frightened because she knew he was holding back from hurting her worse than he wanted to. He didn't argue about her withdrawal of favors, she was too valuable to him to allow her to get pregnant. He didn't want to kill her. Besides, his head was too easily turned by others, he quickly moved on and she heaved a sigh of relief. She got the promotion she had earned and was the highest paid member of Victor's gang and had the most benefits, including rooms in the penthouse.

Mary slid Kimble through the large suite of rooms and into one of the bathrooms. There was a shower stall in there and she ordered him inside. Kimble moved as directed and shivered and whimpered when she turned on the water and the spray hit him. She wasn't sure what to do for him. She liked him, sure, but not enough to assist. Not with him being so badly fouled. "C'mon, baby," she said. "Wash up."

He didn't move, but bawled like the wounded child he was.

Mary sighed, repulsed by his childish behavior, but tossed him a small ball of plasma to make him feel better. It sank into him and he shivered from the heat of it, reviving a little. Some of the pain left him and he looked up at her, beseeching her with his eyes to give more comfort than that, but saw she wasn't going to do as he wanted. It hurt him deeply and brought on a vicious taunt from the Quitter.

_Your little bitch, how she loves you,_ 'Shay teased.

_Shut up, he's just too gross,_ Zander replied. _Go on, Kim. Clean up. The Master will want ta see ya after. _

Kimble took some comfort in that thought, grateful that Zander at least had tried to cheer him. It was the least he could do really. The beating and humiliation had been so severe because the men had demanded the glow. They saw how Creed was getting off on it and wanted it, too. Kimble refused and the abuse began in earnest. It was too much for him, they had been worse than Creed because there were four of them. He wanted to give in, he begged Zander over and over, but the Punisher wouldn't release the power. Now Kimble knew how 'Shay had felt when access was denied. Zander was no fool. He knew they couldn't give in or the guys would be all over them constantly. Like a weakling with a bully, they couldn't give up the lunch money or it would be expected every time. When they saw Kimble wouldn't give it up, they would be left alone. It had been awful, not giving them the glow meant that Kimble had taken the full brunt the abuse. He wasn't spared from it like he was when he shared the backwash with the Master. They had hurt him and he had felt every shove and blow. But now it was over and Kimble knew the men were being punished. The Master loved him enough to do this for him. The thought warmed him.

He stood up shakily and reached for the soap, the tears still leaking from his eyes. He would be clean for his Master, yes. They would fuck and all this would just go away.

Zander was happy now. That had been a close call. He could feel the Lover slipping away and was fearful he would give up as he had before. The last thing Zander wanted was the Quitter back at the helm. He had to keep Kimble together if he was going to realize his dream of getting them out of here.

---------------------------------------

Not long after, Sabretooth came into the apartment, doing his best not to drip blood onto the carpet. He said nothing to anyone but went into the Master bath and shut the door. He came out a half hour later, looking a lot more relaxed than when he'd gone in. He'd cleaned up the worst of the mess he'd made in the kitchen before the blood could seep down to the next floor (couldn't have the neighbors calling the cops!) and then had called a "cleaner" to take care of the rest. Now he'd washed away all traces of violence from his body and had a nice long soak in the tub. His clothes had been hopelessly ruined, they were drenched in blood and discarded. No worries there, he always had plenty to spare.

He dressed in a nice soft terry robe and sat down on the bed. He wiggled his toes into the carpet, feeling better. Relaxed. "Where are ya, Kim?" he called out.

Kimble came in from the next room, again crawling on his belly. "Here, Master," he whispered in a voice so soft, Creed almost missed it in spite of his enhanced hearing. Kimble wouldn't look up at his new Master, he didn't dare. He had been severely humiliated and raped, forced to take it by the men holding Leon at gunpoint. The horror of it was still with him, and would be for some time.

"Them boys ain't gonna hurt ya no more. I took care of it."

"Thank you, Master."

It still amazed Victor how easily those words rolled off of Kimble's tongue. There was no mistaking the fact that Kimble had been a slave before. "Yer gonna be stayin' in here with me an' Mary. I can't trust the rest of the gang not ta keep messin' with ya. Just get this straight, kid. I still got yer Leon and he's still out there with them, understand? One lame move on your part and he's gone. You gonna be good fer me?"

"Yes, Master," Kimble replied, his spirits lifting a little at the news he wouldn't be going back to the holding cells. He moved closer, wanting to show just how much he appreciated what his new Master had done.

Victor wrinkled his nose. Even after he'd been washed, Kimble still stank. Like the skunk oil, the excrement had been on him long enough for some of it to sink in. A normal human might not have noticed, but Creed's senses were much too powerful. He wanted to fuck, but Kimble reeked.

Kimble seemed to sense this. He whimpered in shame and withdrew, covering his face.

Creed sighed in disappointment, getting up and taking the thick comforter from the bed. He lay it on the floor in front of the window, folding it into a bed. He cracked the window open a bit and pointed to the blanket. Kimble crawled over and hid under it, crying softly.

Victor stood over him, perplexed. He wasn't sure what to do with Kimble now. He had never had company in here before, not like this. He certainly didn't want to listen to him blubbering all night. He considered having the pilot bunk with Mary but was feeling possessive because of the abuse. He was genuinely concerned about the pilot, but was at a loss of what to do about it. He had no experience with pets or children, disliking them both equally.

He sighed in frustration and lay on the bed. Still aroused from Kimble's touch and the thrill of the kill, he took matters into his own hands and began to quietly masturbate, wanting the relaxation of it.

Poor Kimble could only whimper softly in shame as he listened to Sabretooth jerk off alone in the big bed. He'd been rejected, it was the ultimate in humiliation, worse than what he'd just been made to endure.

Creed grunted and twitched as he climaxed without the satisfaction he'd been hoping for this night. He cleaned himself and rolled over, fluffing the pillows to get comfortable. He closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

He woke a few hours later. It was still dark, but he could easily see that Kimble was gone. He growled softly in anger until he realized the door to the master bathroom was shut and the shower was running. He got up and went inside, the door wasn't locked. Kimble was in his huge shower, the water almost scalding hot. The chamber was large with multiple shower heads, it didn't keep him from seeing the pilot inside. He was sobbing and scrubbing himself raw with soap. He even had the bar in his mouth, suffering the foul taste to do anything to get this horrible smell off of him.

"So pretty, you smell. You deserve the name they wuz callin' you. Creed's whore," Lakotashay was cackling. "Go on, little crybaby. Tell me how happy now you are yer still alive."

Kimble sobbed. "Go away, 'Shay. Jus' go away!"

"Creed's whore! Creed's crybaby whore!"

"Shut yer yap, 'Shay!" Zander snapped. "It wuzn't his fault, what they done! Leave him alone!"

"Jus' shut up, both of yous!" Kimble whimpered. It was bad enough what he'd gone through this day without listening to his fractured self argue.

He rinsed the soap away and shut the water off, standing in a cloud of steam. He still didn't feel clean, he wondered if he ever would again. He opened the door to the shower and startled noticeably when he saw Creed standing just outside. He stepped back, certain he was going to be punished for being here.

"Feel better?" Victor grumbled, not sure if he should be pissed off or not. He hadn't given Kimble permission to leave the room, but wasn't displeased he had showered again. He smelled much better now. The pilot's different voices nagged at him, especially Kimble expressing such pain. He did his best to dismiss them as some kind of perverted game Kimble was playing but he was uncomfortable with how much Kimble's woe was bothering him. The pain there had seemed all too real.

"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master," Kimble said, keeping his eyes down and his shoulders slumped submissively.

Sabretooth decided to let Kimble's unrequested use of his personal facilities go. He let his robe fall to the floor and stepped inside the shower, pushing Kimble deeper inside. It was a large shower stall, made for group activity and fun by the previous owner, they had plenty of room. He sniffed at Kimble and licked his lips. "You smell good now."

He was rewarded with a happy Kimble smile. It looked so good on the pilot's face, like it belonged there. It made him feel a strange kind of thrill, knowing it was there for him.

"Thank you, Master."

Kimble was silent as Creed snatched at him and spun him up against the wall with brutal force. It was always like this and he had become comfortable with the ritual. Creed would take him hard and then Kimble would calm him to bring it down to a more comfortable level. Sabretooth had grown to love this as well, he wanted the rush of Kimble's power. The combination of the empathy and sex was horribly addictive and he was in withdrawal from being gone. Kimble allowed himself to be crushed and forcibly entered before letting the backwash come. It left him in a wave of heat and passion and Creed groaned in appreciation, under the spell quickly.

Kimble laughed softly and enjoyed this. He was an expert at what he did, a prince among Courtesans, but what he loved best was this. Being fucked. It was the ultimate statement of being desired and valued. He took what his Master had to give and shuddered violently with joy when Creed groaned and climaxed, his brain not able to hold himself back anymore.

Kimble shook from it, reeling himself from another thunderous orgasm. He was climaxing all the time now, he had grown ever more tolerant of the abuse and was in fact growing to love it himself, much as Lakotashay had. The vibrations of acceptance from his new Master made it that much easier to alter his views of what was acceptable and what wasn't. He fell against the tiles shivering with happiness, Creed's large body comfortable against him.

Sabretooth was still lost in the afterglow, too relaxed to move. His mind was a huge vast empty scene of bliss. It was incredible how this pilot made him feel. There was no way he could turn him over to Jael, it would be a crime to himself. He finally roused and stepped back, his legs a little shaky. He snickered softly and turned on the shower.

Kimble eased away from the wall and reached for the soap. Creed stood still, letting Kimble wash him. Kim's hands were skillful and practiced, he kneaded away all the remaining tension from his Master's back and soothed away his worries. This was another thing he had always enjoyed. This was the loving after, the giving of attention. He was glad for this chance to show his Master what he could do and how he could make him feel beyond just the sex. It almost made the abuse he had received in the holding cell worth it. He was finally here, in his Master's rooms where he belonged. He would teach his Master what it was like to be truly loved and Victor would keep him here forever.

He wet his Master's hair and worked in the shampoo, scraping Creed's scalp gently with his fingers. Creed was in heaven. He closed his eyes and let Kimble pamper him, growling softly in a happy, humming purr. He hadn't been pampered like this in years, certainly not without having to pay for it. He liked this very much, glad now he had decided to move Kimble here and out of the holding cell.

He felt Kimble gently lift off the ground and covered his surprise. He kept forgetting Kimble had powers. The restraining collars didn't work on him so it had been the promise of Leon's torture that held him. Kimble had raised himself up because Creed was taller than he was. He wanted to reach for the showerhead --- it was detachable --- to use it to rinse out the soap. Sabretooth mumbled with happiness, but then froze in shock and anger.

Kimble was enjoying this immensely and couldn't help but think back on the pleasure he had just enjoyed. The feel of this big man so close had aroused him again and he was a little hard. His partial erection had brushed Creed's ass as he lifted and pushed against him. One of Kimble's hands had strayed to Victor's hip to steady himself as he reached out.

Sabretooth misunderstood the gesture and reacted without thinking. He whipped around suddenly, slamming Kimble into the wall by his throat. "You even think about fuckin' me, kid, an' I'll rip you apart!" Before Kimble could even finish his startled gasp, Creed smashed his fist into his face.

There were no words to describe the pain. Kimble crumpled with a groan and slid to the floor, holding his face. It was terrible and his body shook with it. Creed had punished him before for small transgressions, but never with the same force as this. He was bewildered and confused. He'd had no intention of doing anything to Creed, it just sort of happened. His body couldn't cope with this on top of the day's abuse. He coughed and vomited, sicking up a pool of grey gel.

Victor stepped back, watching in morbid fascination as it shimmered away before reaching the drain, a reminder that Kimble was less than real. Still, he had enjoyed the look of shock and horror on Kimble's face when he saw the blow coming. It showed him Kimble's fear and he knew the pilot would behave. Just for ritual, he leaned in and growled. "You understandin' me, boy?"

"Yes, Master," Kimble croaked and heaved again. He couldn't help it. The room was spinning and he was in agony.

Creed grabbed his hair and yanked his face up close. "You serve me. Yer here fer me to use as I see fit, not the other way around. Yer ass an' yer mouth're mine. You don't touch me 'less I tell ya to an' I certainly ain't yer bitch. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kimble whimpered and the tears fell fresh. He was choking from the pain and the anger from his Master's powerful shine. It spoke to him. /**I'm disappointed in you. You're not good enough. You don't please me and Leon will be dead/ **"Sorry, Master!"

Sabretooth's anger receded. He was waiting for Kimble to try and make some feeble excuse, but the pilot had been too cowed to even try. He stood up and shut the water off after giving himself a quick rinse. He grabbed a towel and stepped out.

Kimble groaned and tried to get up. He managed to crouch but heaved again. He cried out as he was suddenly grabbed. Creed was finished drying off and wanted to leave, but not without him. He hauled Kimble up and roughly toweled him dry. He dragged Kimble back into the bedroom and tossed him onto the bed. "Stay there."

Kimble obeyed, trembling with renewed humiliation and shame. The worst of the pain had dissipated when Creed's anger left him, but his face still ached horribly. He felt a tickle of hatred then, resentment for the blow. He hadn't done anything wrong, not really. He knew the rules, Creed's rules. He knew better than to try and fuck the guy. Creed's shine had told him long ago that would never happen, Victor wasn't about to take the lesser role. They would never be true lovers with the freedom to take on both sides. Kimble felt his anger simmer, but wouldn't act. He was the possession here, he wasn't about to raise his Master's ire again. He wanted no more pain.

Victor opened his closet and took out a box.

A long time ago, he'd kidnapped a couple of girls right off the street. It started out as a thrill kill, but became something else. He brought them here and broke them with his sick and twisted mind. He abused them with his fists and kept raising their hopes with false promises of their release as soon as he was bored with them. They became his slaves and he loved every minute of it. By the time he was done fucking with their minds, they would perform any sexual act he had demanded of them. They cooked for him, cleaned for him, everything. He kept them under submission by using humiliation and fear. He would make them stay naked all the time, even if the gang came in for a little party time.

They were naked except for this. In his hand he held a large leather collar with a sheepskin lining. It had a nice big loop on it so he could clip a chain and lead them around. Oh, that had been a happy time for him and the boys. In his psychosis, Sabretooth wasn't able to understand that what he'd done was wrong. When the girls stopped fighting him, he took it to mean they had wanted what he had done to them.

It came to a sad end when one of them turned up pregnant. It was bound to happen, the women were raped almost daily by himself or his men when they weren't menstruating. Not taking any chances on the pregnancy being his, he slaughtered them both. To give himself credit, he made it quick and painless, but it had to be done. He had given thought to finding replacements for the girls, but got too busy to realistically manage it. Now, perhaps that could be changed.

Victor took the collar from the box and returned to the bed. Kimble looked up at him with eyes filled with pain. Kimble's anger had faded, he was broken already, all he needed was a gentle reminder. The pilot allowed him to put the collar on without a fight. "This means yer mine," Sabretooth growled, not unkindly.

"Yes, Master," Kimble replied. His voice was strained and warped from the damage done to his face. But inside a glimmer of hope had returned, the Master wasn't refusing him.

Creed smiled. "Now, tell me. Who do you belong to?"

"You, Master."

"Now prove it."

Kimble whimpered in pain, but reached out in obedience. He could see his pain and suffering was a turn on to his new Master, but there was little he could do about it. He started to suck Creed off, ignoring the pain in his face.

_I'll git you out of this, Kim,_ Zander promised. _I'll find a way._

_It's all right. Just like livin' at Zartak's. I kin hang._

_I think he likes it, Zander,_ Lakotashay teased. _Think I'll jus' make sure he keeps gitten hit._

Kimble whimpered softly in response to her threat and Creed pulled on his hair. "Easy, Kim. Yer doin' real fine..."

Kimble's confidence was restored by the compliment and he relaxed, banishing Lakotashay from his thoughts. He worked his Master and enjoyed the rush of Creed's orgasm. He didn't get as much from oral sex, but was always pleased with the result. He knew he did this well.

Sabretooth chuckled softly, petting him now. "Good, boy. Good."

Kimble looked up at him with a smile and saw how his Master's eyes were drooping. "You gots ta sleep now, Master."

Sabretooth was lost in the bliss. He shuffled his way back into the blankets, dragging Kimble with him without really thinking about it. Kimble allowed himself to be crushed, happy that he wouldn't be sleeping alone for the first time in weeks. He was thrilled, really. This was just another sign of his being wanted. It washed away any resentment he might have had for the terrible corrective blow he'd received in the shower. Creed's body was warm and lovely all around him and he squirmed a little, getting comfortable, and let the steady rhythm of his Master's heartbeat lull him off to sleep, his bruised and battered face forgotten. Even in sleep, his finger lovingly rubbed the hand of his Master, making Victor smile in the darkness.

----------------------------

Kimble snapped awake an hour later. It was lighter now, almost dawn. He was blurry and disoriented, mainly from the terrible throbbing pain in his face where he'd been struck. That wasn't what had awakened him, Creed was thrashing, reaching out in front of him to ward off a blow.

At first Kimble thought they were under some kind of attack but realized his Master was having a nightmare. So much like Fallen this was, and it made Kimble sad.

"Master," he said, tugging gently on Victor's arm. "Wake up."

"No, Poppa! No! I promise ta be good! I swear I won't be no trouble, please! Don't use the belt on me!" Victor wailed, his voice so tiny and fragile.

Kimble reached across and flipped on the light.

Sabretooth jumped from the sudden brightness and awoke violently, lashing out with his claws. This time Zander was on the ball and phased the body, not allowing Kimble to be injured further.

Creed's hand whiffed through thin air, ice cold air from Kimble's inner core. The chill brought him around. "What the fuck's goin' on?" he mumbled blearily, still shaking from his terrible dream.

"You wuz dreamin', Master."

"What? Uh, oh... Christ!" he ended bitterly. He was so sick of this crap. He should just go and kill all of those Weapon X guys for giving him his stupid memory back, these dreams were making him crazy. He snatched for his cigarettes and fumbled for his matches, growing cross when he couldn't find them.

"Master," Kimble said softly.

"What!" he snarled in irritation.

Kimble carefully reached for his Master's cigarettes. He shook one out and lit it with a sharp pop of plasma, snapping his fingers.

Victor grunted a laugh, amused now. A portable cigarette lighter, Kimble's uses never ceased.

He took the lit cigarette from his new toy and smoked quietly now, trying to calm down. He felt Kimble's hands come to his shoulders and gently start to massage him, soothing away his anxiety better than any Lucky Strike ever could. He closed his eyes and drifted away. As he was caressed, a strange feeling was growing slowly in his chest. He felt warm and comfortable and...and loved? No! That wasn't possible. But what was this strange ache, this wonderful thing making him feel happy? It wasn't the backwash, they weren't fucking. No, this was something else.

The dream had really unsettled him. The nightmares were always the same. He was back as that small boy, as Dog, and Thomas Logan had opened up a can of whup ass with the belt. The dreams sucked because Creed was always the victim, not a place he was accustomed to being. Part of the reason he was so vicious and powerful was because he had vowed to never be that small boy again, he would never be brutalized like that anymore, not without putting up one hell of a ruckus. The aftereffects of those dreams were seeping over into his normal life. He was seeing Dog's eyes in every face of his victims now, he was starting to experience empathy for his prey, something someone like him couldn't afford. The jobs were getting harder and harder to pull off. The only thing that gave him peace was Kimble's backwash.

He finished his cigarette and then lay back, contented now. He looked up into Kimble's face and frowned, seeing the large bruise there. It bothered him the same way Kimble's humiliation by his men had bothered him, it just looked wrong on Kimble's face. It was like an accusation of neglect, of a lack of caring.

Kimble paused, confused by the inspection and the strange swirling in his Master's shine. Creed was experiencing regret, something not normal for him and it effected his shine, it came off as confusion. The Master reached out with his hand to touch, to lightly brush the swelling there. He didn't apologize, he wouldn't. It was in Sabretooth's nature to just lash out and ask questions later and that wasn't going to change. Besides, he demanded absolute obedience. Violence was the only way he knew how to accomplish that.

"You okay, Master?" Kimble asked softly, mesmerized by the strange fluctuations in Creed's shine. They were speaking to him as they had before. /**I'm sorry, but I don't know why. It bothers me to hurt you, but I don't know why./**

"Yeah, I'm all right," Creed answered and settled down.

Kimble clicked off the light and Creed shivered when he felt the pilot's arms slip around him. Kimble's anger at the beating was gone, the messege from Creed's shine had soothed him. If the Master felt bad, maybe the beatings would slowly stop over time. Kimble felt only the urge now to mother this man who was hurting so and knew the best way to do that was to just hold him and let a warm gentle vibration of love rock him to sleep.

Victor was hugged, but not too tightly, not possessively or in an uncomfortable way. No, this was just a gentle, kind embrace to take away his pain. Kimble's hands found his hair and he was being petted, soothed away back to sleep. Victor shivered from the joy of this calming affection and slipped away. There was no memory of this kind of love soothing him, it had never happened until now. He'd had no idea just how much he had really needed this, but his body did. His slumber was instantly deep and relaxing, no more dreams would haunt him this night.


	5. Chapter 5

(Five)

Kimble settled in his Master's safehouse, intent on pleasing the man and ensuring that he would be allowed to remain.

Mary was Creed's Second and a woman. As such, she got lumped with most of Creed's personal maintenance. She wasn't crazy about it, but was well paid so she put up with it. In Kimble she found an eager and willing helper. She taught him how to prepare Victor's coffee just the way he liked it and showed him the foods his Master liked to eat. Kimble was quick and his memory perfect.

He was taught how to clean the apartment and to wash his Master's clothes. The laundry was one of the hardest things for him to deal with, not because the machines were complicated, but because of how his Master's clothes were often ripped and bloody. There was a separate trash bin for ruined items that would be incinerated. He just put it out of his mind as best he could and kept a list of what needed to be replaced.

Kimble didn't leave the apartment. When things were needed, he gave his lists to Mary and she did the shopping. Kimble soon took over all of the various inventories, keeping track of what was in the kitchen and his Master's toiletries and such. In this way, he was taking care of his people just as he had done with Fallen and he did it well. It made things much easier for Mary and she was pleased.

All of this suited Kimble just fine. He had cared for Sheyman in this way and fell back into a familiar routine. The fact was, Sheyman had been the love by which all others would measured by Kimble. The fact that his responsibilities were the same only reinforced in Kimble's mind that this was where he now belonged.

Kimble got his rewards. Mary showered him with attention in her free time, loving him well. He was her toy, her source of amusement. He would pamper her as he did his Master, massaging her and giving her lots of hands on treatment. She loved to be touched. He would do as she wished and she would kiss him and hold him, mothering him. They would make love and then lay tangled together on her large bed. They talked about silly things other than work or the outside world, things not so serious. Mary had lots of dreams she wished to fulfill and spoke of them -- she had long wanted to open a restaurant or a bar, maybe even a whole chain of them. She wanted to ravel more and see the world, most trips she went on were for business only and she seldom got to explore.

Kimble grew to love their discussions because it pleased her and made her shimmer glow so bright with happiness. She was the only woman here and it was hard for her to relate to the guys. She could talk to Kimble about anything and it made him feel important.

When she was feeling frisky, she would play music and they would dance. She loved all kinds of music as he did and loved his company, teaching him the stylized dances of this world. He had missed music dearly and was glad to have it around again. Sabretooth did not have this love for music, or at least not that Kimble saw. If Kimble wanted to dance, he did it with her.

Another thing Mary did for him, was make him higher than a kite. It wasn't just the plasma, she loved to smoke pot. They would smoke and get so silly, giggling away like school girls. She loved to get him high. He would get silly drunk and tell her dirty jokes without cease until she had laughed so hard she couldn't move.

They ate mounds of junk food. He enjoyed so many things but she learned quickly not to give him chocolate. For some reason it troubled him. It made him sad and once he had gone from giddy silliness to an all out crying jag. He had retreated from her to stand in front of the window, opening it and gasping for air as if he couldn't breathe. She had no explanation for this and when she asked he wouldn't say.

He couldn't tell her how the chocolate made him think of Remy. When he was so high, his emotions got away from him and at times he felt the absence of his friend like a horrible aching wound that would never heal. He was happy here in his way, he tried to console himself. He could never go back. 'Shay had done something horrible, he just knew it, something that would stand in the way of his return. He had no desire to remember what it was. That life was behind him now, it didn't matter.

Mary brightened his mood by snapping pictures of him. He was quite taken with her Polaroid camera, the pictures developing like magic captivated him. She took pictures of him often, teasing him into posing for her. He was such a ham.

Kimble loved her dearly, but was well aware of who he truly belonged to. He learned Creed's habits and arranged his life around that of his Master. He brought Creed his paper, his food, his slippers, diving into the role of loyal manservant with zeal and enthusiasm. He was attentive and often anticipated what Sabretooth wanted before he was even asked.

Creed was thrilled. He loved the attention and Kimble's talent with attention to detail. His food was well prepared and varied, and his clothes cleaned and pressed far more regularly than before. He was something of a slob, yet liked his place picked up. Kimble would follow him without complaint, picking up his Master's trail of debris and cleaning his mess without comment. Sabretooth couldn't be happier, it was just like having the girls again.

The major difference was that unlike the women Creed had previously kidnapped, Kimble was not kept naked. He was at first, but his masculinity troubled Creed. The guys in the gang looked at him funny just once and Kimble was promptly dressed. The last thing Victor Creed was, was a faggot and he wasn't going to do anything to change anyone's view on that.

He bought Kimble some nice leather shirts and pants much like his own leisure wear. He took the care to have the shirts made to accommodate Kimble's wings and the pants to fit his legs. There was a tailor in town that catered to mutants and had plenty of nice things in Kimble's size. He didn't bring Kimble there, the pilot never left the house, but Sabretooth was a decent judge of size. The shirts were cut low enough that the leather collar was always visible. That hadn't changed. Sometimes if he was feeling extra kinky, he would clip a dog leash to the collar and lead Kimble around. Kimble endured it with Siskan compliance, eager only to please.

Kimble cooked his Master's meals. Creed had varied tastes and was thrilled Kimble learned quickly. He bought the pilot lots of cookbooks and Kimble made those things he knew Creed liked. He would serve his Master's table and then sit at the side of his chair on the floor. If Creed liked what Kimble had made, he would feed the pilot from his hand. Oh, how Creed liked that. The submission was a turn on and sometimes he'd take the pilot quickly in a rough tumble on the floor. They'd wrestle and fight and Creed always won. He pin Kimble down and they'd fuck like no tomorrow.

Kimble knew no greater bliss. Not since Sheyman had he'd had this level of standing in his Master's house. He ran the household now pretty much and Creed was in his thrall. Kimble was used time and time again, never neglected, never tossed aside. With essentially two owners, he was never bored and had real purpose. He knew now he wouldn't be taken to Jael and he had a home again, a home for real. He had adapted to his new environment as he had before. He had been a caretaker for Sheyman, a trainer to the Clan, Fallen's computerized mechanic and Cameron's protective ShaRain. Of all the choices after Sheyman had died, he was happiest here. He was used frequently and had the complete attention of his Master. For an empathic Siskan, there was no substitute for this.

Leon was a distant memory. Kimble never left the apartment or went to the holding cells so he never saw his old teammate. He could've cared less and never asked about the guy. He had chosen his own path now and wouldn't leave his new Master.

-----------------------------

Sabretooth was bored and it was pissing him off. He sat in his overstuffed office chair, his head held in one hand as he leaned, listening to these two blathering idiots ramble on. Two new clients had come to him today for the usual snatch and grab, a kidnap for hire, but as usual, they wanted to bore him with the details of their stupid cause. The only reason he hadn't booted them out already was because they had offered him an awful lot of money, twice the usual fee. This was a preliminary negotiation, the actual kidnap wouldn't take place for a couple of weeks. Creed's eyes had threatened to close, but a small movement outside the door had caught his attention.

Kimble was there, crouched low on his hands and knees and hovering just outside, too timid to actually come in. The rules had already been beaten into him -- "Don't disturb the Master while he is working". Kimble peeked around the corner and met Creed's eyes. He smiled shyly and waved at him playfully.

Before Kimble had come into his life, Victor would have gone off, bellowing madly at any interruption, but today he just didn't care and smiled a little, warmed by Kimble's obvious desire to be near him. Kimble wanted to play, nothing more. He was being very quiet about it, silent, and Creed's guests had no idea he was there. Sabretooth had learned what he'd needed to know from these two clowns long ago and tuned them out. He cocked his head slightly when he saw Kimble back away and disappear. He felt oddly disappointed by his departure, lonely now that Kimble had brightened him for a moment and was now gone. The men blathered on.

Sabretooth startled a little when he suddenly sensed Kimble next to him on the floor, hidden by the desk. Creed had never moved, so in control of himself he was. His eyes glanced down ever so slightly and he saw Kimble was naked -- Kimble had phased through the wall behind him to enter the room without being detected by Creed's guests. He couldn't phase his clothes and so had left them behind. Victor knew Kimble had powers, he just kept forgetting because Kimble used them so seldom.

Kimble approached him cautiously and carefully lay his head on Sabretooth's massive thigh, wanting only to be near him. Creed shifted casually, moving his head from one hand to the other so he could gently lay his free hand on Kimble's head. Kimble shivered and gave a soft low moan at the caress. He knew Creed's range of hearing was vast and had made the sound so quietly, the two guests had no idea he was even there.

Victor was surprised by Kimble's increasing need to be near him all of the time. It was a sign that Kimble was here actually by choice, not because he was being forced. Sabretooth was no fool, Kimble had started out as his prisoner, now he had become something else. It still amazed him how Kimble would actually desire to be here, here with him. No one had ever stayed this long on their own. Kimble had been loose now for over a month, creeping around the penthouse, learning the boundaries. He took on quick and Creed seldom had to beat him more than once for the same offense.

Victor was also well aware of the effects of Kimble's presence. His ever present howling rage was cooling. At first he thought it was because he was getting off so regularly, but now he wasn't so sure. When he was finished with Kimble, he always felt oddly at peace, not unsatisfied like before. The release was more than just physical, Kimble soothed his mind somehow and Creed was hopelessly addicted now. His rages were fading farther and farther away and taking longer to return. He was so relaxed, he was beginning to feel normal. His attention span was lengthening and he had more patience. He was less destructive in the house and to the people who had come to work for him.

Kimble gently rubbed his cheek against his new Master's thigh and Creed started to pet him gently as if he were a dog. Sabretooth's heart rate slowed and the irritation of being bored slipped away. He could feel the heat of Kimble's skin and knew that Mary had just given him a plasma charge. He felt a tickle of jealousy, knowing that she often fucked him as well, using it as a tool to benefit them both.

Sabretooth sat quietly now, content to pet Kimble and ignore his guests as he lost himself to a pleasant daydream. He didn't move as the men finished and Mary came to the door to take them away. She saw Creed's half open eyes and mistook his bliss for exhaustion. She dimmed the light and shut the door behind her. It wasn't the first time Victor had fallen asleep in his chair.

When he was alone, Creed glanced down again and saw that Kimble had closed his eyes. His face had taken on an expression of total rapture. He had craved only his Master's loving attention and now had it. Kimble's eyes opened slightly when he realized Creed was looking at him and he breathed oh so softly, "Fuck me, Master...please."

Creed shifted as he became instantly aroused and grabbed Kimble's hair, pulling him up.

Quickly now, he had Kimble on the desk, head down and ready. Kimble gave a soft cry of discomfort as he was crushed painfully and Creed relaxed, suddenly not wanting to hurt him. With his anger replaced by contentment, the urge to be violent dissipated immediately. This without Kimble's backwash. Again, something new. He backed off a bit and turned Kimble on his side into a position a little more comfortable and took him slowly, gently, making love to him for the first time. He desired only Kimble's enjoyment and was rewarded by the pilot's soft moan of pleasure. It thrilled him like nothing else and Creed was lost.

Kimble was a little stunned at the turn of events but then realized he'd been seeing this coming for some time now. Creed was becoming less and less abusive, fine tuning it as it were so that Kimble wasn't being forced so much as toyed with. He was no longer brutalized or truly beaten, only lightly bruised and scratched instead of cut. Kimble had grown to love this more than anything else. A few carefully placed blows, a slap, a scratch in just the right place and he was shivering with ecstacy, backwashing it into Creed and blowing the big man's mind away. The two of them were growing addicted to each other, each satisfying a need in the other.

Of course what neither of them fully realized was this was no mere coincidence. Back on Siska, when Kimble worked with the afflicted, he had used his empathy in a sort of mild healing. He took their pain and blunted the severity of their symptoms. What he was doing now was not different. He was healing Sabretooth's madness in his own way.

Kimble's reward was that he had Creed's attention now whenever he wanted it, something he hadn't had exclusively to himself since Sheyman had died. He had gone looking for another father and found one. He was forgetting who he had been before and those he'd left behind, becoming someone else. Kimble had evolved from Cameron's ice cold ShaRain into Creed's child like servant, losing himself in the constant oblivion of a steady plasma high and the lovely repetition of Creed's acceptance and love. He was in heaven, here in this den of violent sadistic killers. He'd found a place where monsters dwelled and he'd been embraced and accepted. This was where he belonged now.

Just this change in positioning was significant to Kimble. He wasn't face down, he could turn his head and look up into Victor's face. Watch him shiver when he climaxed. The Master was more comfortable with him now, becoming desensitized to his gender. This was the one thing Creed still struggled with despite Kimble's attempts to show him it didn't matter. He was stuck in this skin, but his heart was neither male nor female. He could be whatever Creed wanted. He would bless the day the Master took him while he was on his back. He wanted to feel Victor's body on top of his and run his hands through that silky blonde hair. He wanted to kiss him, feel the hot breath of Creed's passion on his face. The thought of it made him shudder and he let a ripple of his love pour out of him and into Victor's shine.

Creed felt it, he growled and shook as he climaxed, taking Kimble with him. He shivered and sweated from the heat of his passion and Kimble's glorious power radiated out of every pore. He looked down with loving eyes on the one who had made all of his new found peace possible. He'd been in countless hospitals, taken an unknown number of drugs both legal and illegal, but nothing had ever come close to what it felt like when Kimble took his pain. The nightmares that had been almost constant since his memories had been restored were gone, his bad dreams replaced with lovely fantasies of being loved and wanted for real. He was so high now, serene. He almost felt like weeping, but that was something he didn't know if he could ever do.

He reached down to stroke Kimble's face and smiled when Kimble playfully took one of his heavy clawed fingers into his mouth and sucked on it, using his tongue to play with it. Kimble cut his tongue on the claw a little but didn't care. The taste of his own blood in his mouth had become intoxicating. It was better when Creed actually hit him, but this would do for now. He shivered again and Creed caressed him, reaching down to lightly stroke his face.

"Who are you?" Sabretooth asked softly, overcome with a feeling he had experienced so seldom in his life. Love and the joy of it.

"Kimble. Jus' like that. Kimble," he replied, high from the love vibration that was coming into him now, so powerful and sweet. He had come home, he knew this now. He would never leave this place or this man's side without a brutal fight. There was no where else he wanted to be.

------------------------------

Later that same night, Kimble lay on Sabretooth's bed, stretched out with contentment. His body tingled from a thousand hurts but he'd grown so accustomed to the pain, it was like little rapturous feet walking up and down his spine. He was oblivious to the large swelling bruises on his back and legs. He was drowsy now, Mary had fed him right before Creed had ravaged him again and the plasma was healing him as it made him high.

The Master had just come from the shower. He loved a nice hot wash after as good a session as they'd just had. It was incredible how Kimble could keep pace with his libido, no one else ever had before. He sat down on the bed next to his servant, the shifting of the mattress from the weight of him tumbling Kimble's body closer. The pilot shivered as Creed caressed him gently with a clawed hand down his back. The claws weren't out far, just enough to break the skin and leave small red trails.

The Lover grumbled with contentment as Creed's love vibration sank into him with its warmth, so very much like Sheyman's from so long ago. He knew it wouldn't be long before Mary would no longer be allowed to love him. Creed was working on that. Once he found a way to power Kimble without using someone else, she would be gone.

They both jumped a little as the phone rang. Creed snarled and snatched at the receiver. "What."

"Hello, Sabretooth. This is Jael. I know you've been enjoying yourself, my friend, but we made a deal. You've had a month to enjoy my pet, but it's time to finish it."

Sabretooth had been expecting this call for a while now and was surprised only by the fact it had taken this long. He wasn't afraid of being found, this number was protected by a satellite security system and was untraceable. "Deal's off."

"I gave you an advance."

"I sent it back," Creed replied testily, his nerves on edge. He actually had sent the money back, something unusual for him, but he wanted Jael off his back. He had known from the beginning that Jael was not to be trifled with.

Jael laughed softly, "I know. How very curious. You know what I want him for. He can't do that cooped up in your penthouse. The money you returned I consider a rental fee. He's mine and I want him. Now."

"Ferget it. You try anything and I'll kill him myself."

"No sharing with you, hmm? Believe me, I understand. There's nothing like fucking a Siskan, there are no words to describe the feeling, their love. They know all the places to touch, to taste. So wonderful how they make us feel. But of course you realize that the backwash is a drug like any other. It's powers will fade in time. He doesn't love you."

Creed shifted uncomfortably, not easy with the idea that Jael seemed to be reading his mind. Kimble had been in his thoughts almost constantly lately. "He ain't comin' back, so just fergit it."

"I'll forget nothing, my friend. Just you remember this. I know you and your ways. If he comes back to me damaged, I'll have my pound of your flesh, that you can count on. There are worse things than death."

"I ain't scared of you," Creed lied, keeping his voice level.

Jael just laughed, not in the east bit fooled. "Perhaps in time, we'll take the measure of one another. In the meantime, are you ready for the Rally?"

"Rally?" Creed stammered in confusion, but then remembered. The Friends of Humanity Rally, it was less than three months away. They had negotiated over it in July, it was now the first of November. Had that much time really passed?

"Yes, my friend. The Rally approaches. Don't tell me you're going to back out of that deal as well?" Jael said with arrogant derision.

"No, no. I'm with ya. I've got all the ordinance ready, just gotta get the team picked out."

"Fine. Fine. Until then, take good care of my boy. You won't have him forever. I always get what's mine, one way or the other."

Creed growled as Jael hung up. Jael was one of the few people who really gave him the creeps. Jael was simply too powerful. Sabretooth looked beside him at Kimble who was almost asleep now, contented from his Master's attention. His feelings towards this creature confused him, in spite of Kimble's appearance, Creed didn't regard him as male, he refused to. That would mean he had become bi-sexual or worse...gay. That was more than his testosterone laden ego could handle.

He knew he was in trouble though. He had been unable to take his pleasure with anyone else for a while now. No one else but this strange artificial being could satisfy him. He had been going out prowling at night, looking for easy women to please him. It was a futile effort. They did nothing for him anymore without the backwash. The bodies of his unsatisfactory lovers were piling up, shredded in his frustration.

He just didn't want to admit he might be falling in love. That was just as impossible as his being gay. Just once he had tried to force himself on another man, just to see if he had in fact turned, but the masculine smell of his victim repulsed him and he found himself holding bloody, jagged rags of flesh in his hands, his sexual desire replaced by the unstoppable urge to kill. Only with Kimble did he now find peace.

No matter how hard he was beaten, Kimble was there to receive his love and affection, returning it just as passionately. The pilot's touch was just as hard or as soft as he wanted it to be without him having to say a word. Kimble just seemed to know what was on his mind and could anticipate his needs. In all things he was the perfect lover.

Kimble was clean, always smelling of the shower or of his own rough loving. Kimble had no scent to confuse him with issues of gender. Creed had girls like Mary that stayed around before, members of his team that he'd taken liberties with, but their moodiness disgruntled him before long and the smell of their blood drove him crazy. They didn't stay long, finding his sexual abuse no more tolerable than Mary had. Kimble was different. He was quiet and odorless, staying out of sight until called for. He never nagged at him for attention, just hovered slightly out of range not disturbing him at all.

Even after all this time, Kimble was not allowed full freedom. He was always fully dressed, wearing the same soft brown leather as his Master did. It was loose and comfortable, hiding his masculinity and making Creed more comfortable. He was never allowed to wander through the penthouse without a shirt of some kind, Creed wouldn't stand for it no matter how beautiful Kimble's physique. The only time Creed wanted him bare was in bed.

He also insisted that Kimble's hair be left loose, making him appear more feminine and hiding the long sideburns of his face. Creed would stand by quiet while Kimble brushed his long black hair in strong sensuous strokes, loving the feel of the brush. For some strange reason this ritual aroused Creed like no other and Kimble used it often when he felt Creed foolishly holding back his desire, wrestling with his confusion over silly things like his gender. As far as Kimble was concerned, he didn't have one and told the Master so many times. Kimble had grown to like the feel of the brush as Creed beat him with it, howling as he shuddered with his violent climaxes. Kimble no longer remembered what it was like to have sex without the abuse. In his twisted, plasma induced psychosis, Kimble had come to accept this as real love.

Creed reached out and brushed a lock of Kimble's hair back, whispering his name softly.

Kimble shivered from drowsy arousal and turned his face to look at him. "Whatcha wants...?" Kimble replied soft and easy.

"Nuthin'. Just ta look at ya."

Kimble grunted a soft laugh and smiled. He placed his hand over Creed's and took it to his mouth for a kiss. "Come lay with me."

Creed slid down next to his lover and smiled in the darkness as Kimble's arms embraced him, holding him in a way that no one else had ever wanted to do. Creed closed his eyes and relaxed, comfortable now. Kimble touched him only with love, with the purest devotion, and Creed was lost in it, forever addicted to the backwash. He couldn't get enough of Kimble's love, it was all he desired.


	6. Chapter 6

(Six)

The next day, the penthouse was quiet and Kimble paced restlessly. He had fallen into a nice routine here, but was always unsettled when the Master was gone. Even now, he still disliked to be left alone. Creed had gone off this afternoon to pull a quick job and would be back shortly. Kimble was alone in the penthouse and the Punisher was taking advantage of Kimble's somber mood. Zander had been relentless, pestering him for hours now.

It was two days after Halloween and the Punisher had been roused by the candy and the children. They had come to the door, brightly dressed and full of fun. He was allowed to pass out the candy, no one caring about his appearance because of the holiday. They thought he was wearing an elaborate costume. Sabretooth distributed candy to keep up the pretense of normalcy, he didn't want nosey neighbors poking around if he was unsociable. Usually it was Mary's job to handle the neighbors, but she was more than happy to let Kimble take over, especially when it had made him so happy to see the children. The only drawback had been the chocolate of course. It roused his memory and made him miss his dear friend Gambit like nothing else. The Punisher, naturally, was all over it.

"Call yer Remy, Kim. I knows ya 'members the number," he insisted, the words leaking out of Kimble's mouth.

"The Master's cummin' home soon," Kimble said. He was high and couldn't wait for his Master's touch. It seemed like hours since Sabretooth had walked out.

"I'll jus' bet that boy's been all worried aboutcha," Zander said, working Kimble and bending him to his will. He was hoping if Kimble heard Remy's voice, he would think about leaving this place. Maybe the X-men could figure out where they were. Anything. Anything to get out of here. He was choking here, unhappy with the terrible cycle of abuse and rough fucking. Maybe Kimble and Lakotashay were all right with it, but he wasn't. He remembered what it had been like to be normal, this wasn't it. If they stayed like this, they would be ruined for a normal Master for certain. No one decent would want them. "Jus' tell him how happy ya are sos he kin stop lookin'. How's about that, huh?"

Kimble drifted over to the window, uncertain. He pulled the curtains back, something forbidden when the Master was here. Sabretooth was still fearful Kimble would be seen and stolen from him. He gasped with wonder as he saw small flakes of snow drifting down, lit up by a light on the outside.

"Sheyman..." Lakotashay breathed softly and shivered. She was mesmerized by the snow, too enthralled to care about Zander's whisperings to the Lover.

Zander was not one to let opportunity go to waste. "Feel that love, Kim, huh? Call yer Remy. Let him knows yer okay. Tell him thatcha loves him and yer all happy now. Kin ya do that? He'd do it fer you."

Kimble smiled softly in the darkness of Creed's bedroom and reached for the phone. "All right."

------------------------

Remy came out of the house and stood on the porch looking up at the dark, cloudy night sky. He had come outside to smoke, but nature had provided him with a little entertainment, the first snow flakes of the season had begun to fall. He sat down on the railing and smoked quietly, his mind still trying to figure out what was going wrong.

It had been a over a month since Sabretooth spirited Kimble off into the mist. They were searching all over for Jael's lair, but there had been no sign of Jael or Kimble anywhere. Remy and Logan had done another exhaustive run through the Morlock tunnels only to come out empty handed. At least they had proven the map he'd made was accurate. The thought gave him no comfort.

Seth had no hits on the computer traps he'd set up, but the poor guy didn't have many facts to work with. Creed covered his tracks much too well. Seth was hacking as much information from the SHIELD computers as he could, but it wasn't enough. They needed Sabretooth to rear his ugly head, so far he had done a serious fade.

Gambit was jerked out of his thoughts when his cell phone rang. It was quite late, three thirty in the morning and he'd forgotten to shut it off. Who would be calling him this late?

" 'Ello?"

There was a moment's silence and then they hung up.

"Stupid wrong number..." he muttered to himself and put his phone away.

A few minutes later, it rang again.

"Bonjour? Cajun hotline of love," he greeted with a short laugh of amusement.

Again, there was no answer, but this time he could hear someone breathing.

" 'Ey, you know I like a breather as much as de next guy, but it's late y'all. You gonna talk dirty to me or what?"

There was still no answer and Gambit was about to hang up himself this time, but then he heard his caller sniff and the sound of it was achingly familiar. "Kimble? Dat you, little brother?"

There was no response except for a muffled sob. Kimble had been overcome by the sound of Gambit's voice and could hardly speak.

"Oh man, Kimble, if dat's you, you gotta let me know you're okay. We been lookin' all over for you. Gambit's scared 'alf to death!"

"I-I seen the snow..."

Remy stood up and covered his eyes with a trembling hand. "Where you at? We been lookin' all over! Tell me! Tell me right now!"

"I- I seen the snow...an' I wuz thinkin'. I wuz thinkin' 'bout my father an all the lies he tol' me."

"Sheyman never lie to you, cher. You jus' got your 'ead all twisted 'round is all."

"Naw, I'm the best I ever been, y'know? It's all good now...all good. I'm home now, gots all the luvin' I need. Yous don' need ta look fer me no more. I'm home now...home. Don' wanna be nowheres else," Kimble slurred. He sounded drunk or high, certainly not the clear minded Kimble Remy had come to know. "I- I miss you sometimes. Mary gave me some chocolate the other day an' I wuz thinkin' of you. I miss the way ya useta smell..."

"I miss you, too, buddy," Gambit said, jumping a little when the front door opened and a sleepy eyed Logan stood there watching. _Somehow, he'd heard me talking,_ Gambit thought to himself with wonder. _Dis guy 'as ears like a dog_. "Where you at, Kimble?"

"We had some kids come by all dressed up funny. Mary said it wuz Halloween but I didn' unnerstand what she meant. I only liked it cuz the Master let me gives 'em candy. He said it wuz okay if they seen me cuz they didn' think I wuz real."

Remy was a little taken aback. Why wasn't Kimble down in the caverns of Jael's hideout? His heart surged with hope. If he was in a safehouse, maybe he could get Kimble to give him enough clues so they could find him. "Yeah, we get de kids, too. You get a lot, eh? De come from de 'ouses 'round you?"

Logan grunted, impressed with Remy's improvised detective skills. Gambit had gone right to work without missing a beat.

"Nawr, we ain't in no house. We's in a buildin' way up high."

"Yeah? How high? What can you see?"

"I kin sees the Brooklyn Bridge from the Master's office."

Remy spun quickly to the East, trying to work out the geography. "What's de number on de door, s'il vous plait? Did you see it?"

"Yeah, it wuz 46B're sumpthin' like that. Why? Is that real high?"

"Oui, it's high enough, little brother. Who's dere wit you?"

"Is it true what Logan said about Seth? That he got out?"

Remy was momentarily confused by Kimble changing the subject. He answered quickly, hoping to keep Kimble talking. "Yeah. 'E been out a few weeks."

"Is he all right? Not so scared, I mean."

"Oui. Fallen's been 'elpin' him out. You okay? You sound different."

Kimble laughed. "Yeah, jus' a little high is all. The plasma...sometimes it's so hard ta think, ya know? But I been thinkin' 'bouts you a lot. You an' Seth. I'm glad about him. He an' Fallen must be so happy. Evraone should be happy. I'm so happy now."

"Why you so 'appy?"

"Cuz someone loves me now...loves me fer real."

"Who's dat? Who's lovin' you now?"

"The Master."

Remy frowned. He disliked the idea of anyone owning his friend, it hadn't worked out so well when Cameron Bishop was Kimble's Master. On an impulse Remy asked, "Who's de Master, Kim?"

"I cain't say, you'll gits all mad. I don' wants ya mad at me."

What was this? Remy began to tremble even more, the hope was more than he could take. If not Jael, than who? This was getting better by the minute. He looked over at Logan and saw the same hope there in his teammate's hungry eyes. Logan was more than ready to take this on.

"Gambit ain't never mad at you, Kim. Not like dat. Who's de Master?" he insisted, his voice firm.

Kimble never got a chance to reply. Remy jerked suddenly when he heard a door slam open on the other end of the line and the sound of the phone being slapped away. "What's goin' on here!" a voice bellowed that Remy knew all too well. "What are you doin!"

"I wuzn't doin' nuthin!" Kimble pleaded, then yelped as he was struck multiple times.

"Kimble!" Gambit shouted into the phone, pacing quickly in his frustration that he could do no more than just listen. He was mortified, his earlier hope fizzling out quickly. Sabretooth was no better Master than Cameron as far as he was concerned. "Leave 'im alone!"

Kimble's phone was picked up. "Who's this?"

"It's Gambit, you 'airy, murderin' asshole!"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite redneck Cajun. Long time no kill."

Remy could hear Kimble crying and blubbering in the background and he challenged Creed in a voice firm with anger, "If you 'urt 'im, I swear I'll jump right down your t'roat an' rip your fuckin' 'eart out, comprenez!"

"Fat chance of that happening, but yer welcome to try. Wouldn't be the first time I kicked your sorry little ass...won't be the last."

Impossibly, Kimble began to beg and plead for Remy's life. Gambit could hear him clearly, he must have come up close to Sabretooth, acting boldly in spite of having just been beaten. Several times Kimble called this man Master, something that ran a chill up and down Remy's spine. That he would never get used to, never. There was the sound of another scuffle, a yelp, and Kimble went quiet.

"Let 'im go," Remy demanded through tightly clenched teeth.

"Not a chance, Cajun. He's just too precious."

"I'll double Jael's t'ree million for 'im."

Creed just laughed.

"Si bien, I'll t'row in a Ferrari den."

"Right, like I'd fit in one." Creed was a large man.

"Mercedes SUV?"

Logan chuckled from the doorway, amazed at the exchange. His sensitive hearing not only let him hear Remy from outside the house--- his bedroom window was cracked not far from the front porch--- but now let him hear Creed's side of the conversation as well.

"I appreciate yer thinkin', but I already turned down a better offer. You couldn't even come close," Creed boasted.

"What you want 'im for, eh? He just a kid."

"He's so much more'n that or you wouldn't be offerin' me luxury vehicles, boy. Oh, an' if yer thinkin' of tracin' this down, don't bother. Yer boy just saw to it we're buggin' out tonight. There won't be anything left for you to find. Later, sneak."

"Wait—I can do better!"

Creed hung up.

"Damnit!" Remy snarled and threatened to smash the phone in his anger, but stopped himself in time. Kimble might be able to call again later.

"What's goin' on?" Logan growled, his brown eyes glittering at the thought of the hunt.

"Kimble's not wit Jael. Saby never turned 'im over."

"Well, I think I know just the place Kimble was talkin' about. You up to a drive?"

The heat in Gambit's eyes was enough.


	7. Chapter 7

(Seven)

Back at the penthouse, Creed went off. "What the fuck was that!"

"Nuthin'...please don' be mad at me, Master, please!" Kimble pleaded.

Creed picked him up and slapped him again. A claw caught in the dog collar and ripped it from his throat, snapping his head back painfully. Victor didn't care. He dragged the pilot down the hall to the holding cells. Right outside the door, he lost control again and began to beat Kimble some more, giving him unrestrained blows to the face and belly. Kimble squealed in pain, but didn't try to fight.

Victor was lost in the fog of rage. He'd been betrayed again. He saw a flash of Rose's face. Rose kissing Logan, this girl he had thought would be his. What he thought he'd seen and felt from her when they were growing up had been a lie. Was this a lie, too? Had Kimble insinuated himself in his life only as a means to escape? Had all that gentleness and tenderness been false? He felt such pain, such horrible pain. He couldn't stop his fists from raining down blow after terrible blow. He was lashing out at Kimble, at Logan, at Rose. At all of those who had ever fucked him over.

Creed's men stood by, struck silent by the violence. They had never seen their boss lash out at his new toy like this. Kimble was being seriously abused. Kimble covered his head and sobbed as blow after blow fell down on him. Worse than that was the anger and hate coming from Creed's shine, for the first time directed at him. Creed felt betrayed and vibrations of his hate and pain were devastating to the pilot. He had done this terrible thing.

"Stop it! You're killing him!" Mary shouted, bringing Creed back to his senses.

He stood over Kimble, snarling and drooling slightly as the red haze that had blanketed his mind lifted a little. Kimble lay broken at his feet, wheezing with pain as he struggled to breathe. Each breath was an agony and he made a sickening sucking sound each time he took some air. He was seriously injured. Gel was leaking out of his nose and ears and the corners of his swollen eyes. This made Logan's beating on the Lucky Dragon all those months ago feel like a love tap. It was amazing, or cruel, that he was even still conscious.

"S-sorry, Master..." Kimble managed, only dimly aware that the pounding had stopped. "I won't do it again...I promise." He pawed at Creed's foot with a gel bloodied hand, trying to appease his Master's wrath.

"Just tell me why!" Victor demanded.

"Mary gave me some chocolate...when the kids wuz cummin'...I seen the snow..."

"What's that got to do with anything!"

"He–he wuz the only one who wuz nice ta me...chocolate...He gave me chocolate when I wuz so sad...hurtin'...I seen the snow an' thought 'bout home...I knows they been lookin' fer me...didn' wan' him... ta... worry 'bout me no more...I sez ta him...H-happy now...s-stop lookin'...stop lookin'...only one nice ta me... back home..." Kimble gasped as he struggled to breathe. His grey blood poured from his torn lips and dripped to the floor.

"You sayin' ya don't want to stay?" Creed asked, his voice full of angry pain and hurt. He didn't understand Kimble's babble.

"I wants ta stay...stop lookin'...wanna stay...I jus'–I jus' wuz thinkin' 'bout home, is all."

"This is yer home now!"

"Yes. Yes, Master...Don' be mad at me...please. I won' do it again!"

Sabretooth stood over Kimble, a perplexed, pained look on his face. He was deciding what he should do. He knew he should deliver Kimble to Jael as he was supposed to do, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed what Kimble could do for him. He could sense in Kimble that this had been a momentary lapse of judgement, nothing more. Their bonding was close enough now for him to see Kimble's sincere regret and misguided intentions.

Still, it galled him that Kimble had called Gambit of all people. The only one he hated more than that runt Wolverine was that red eyed Cajun thief. Some restless emotion stirred inside, one he hadn't felt in a long time. Jealousy. Funny how the face that came first to mind was Logan's instead of Remy's.

He snarled and withdrew. "Let him sit in the cell an' bleed 'till we pack up. We're bugging out," he said finally, turning away and walking back up to the penthouse.

Kimble whimpered and whined as his battered and broken body was lifted and dumped onto a cot in the cell next to Leon's. He reached out for Mary, begging her to repair him, but she obeyed Creed's order and walked away to pack up. She wouldn't come back for him until it was time to go. Kimble lay back, gasping for air as the tears poured from his eyes. He was going into shock, but wouldn't pass out, his increased tolerance for pain had seen to that. The time passed slowly, measured by each tortured, labored breath.

Leon shivered in the cell next to him, covering his ears to block out the horrible wheezing Kimble was making as he tried to breathe. He had witnessed Kimble's savage beating with a kind of horror, glad it was Kimble and not himself. Of course that left the question of, if they were leaving, what were they going to do with him?

----------------------------

Kimble whimpered softly, cowering on the floor at the Master's feet. He could still feel vibrations of hurt and rage that came from the big man and was ashamed because he had been the one to cause them. They were in the long stretch limo, cruising at impossible speeds away from the penthouse. Creed had shoved him into a long trench coat to hide his wings and herded him down to the car, squashing him down to the floor. They had collected Leon along the way and the boy sat across from him, dressed now but bound and gagged. The others were following in the van and the panel truck they used to move their equipment around.

Kimble raised his eyes to his Master but Creed was looking out the window at the rain. He had tossed off his jacket, his roughness betraying how upset he still was. The reflection of the water falling down the window made false tear tracks down his face, making him appear fragile and wounded. He chewed on a claw, trying to control his raging temper and hurt. He still felt betrayed, but was more afraid of why that should matter. Kimble was just a prisoner, right? Just someone to be used. He closed his eyes, knowing all that had become a lie a long time ago.

Victor had always been careful and all the calls made from his office phone had been taped. He had played Kimble's call back before they left. It confirmed what the pilot had told him, flooding him with relief. It also took his breath away, what Kimble had said about him. About being happy and not wanting to leave. Creed's body shivered as a sharp pain sliced right through him. This was so unfair! He was supposed to feel nothing. The only way for him to survive with his sanity intact was to just shut it all off. These needs, these wants he'd been feeling so much lately...they were dangerous.

"I'm sorry, Master," Kimble whispered again from the floor.

"Shut up. I don't wanna hear from you."

Kimble lay down flat and covered his face, sobbing. He'd done this horrible thing. Why was it he couldn't stop himself from doing these self destructive things? Stupid old Zander! Kimble now knew he had been tricked. He had it good here, more than good in spite of the abuse. By allowing Zander to manipulate him, he had thrown it all away. What was he going to do now?

_Let me takes yer pain, Kim, _Lakotashay pleaded.

He wasn't about to give her full control again. _No, I'm gonna find a way ta fix this. I have to._

On the opposite bench seat of the limo, Leon cowered. He wasn't certain of what was going on, only that Kimble was the cause of this whole mess and now they were leaving.

He'd been languishing in Sabretooth's holding cell for over two months before this night, certain that he would be slaughtered at any moment. The guards outside had teased him unmercifully, describing in exquisite detail just how Creed was going to come and shred him to pieces. It wasn't hard for them to make him cry and he was unable to stop the tears of fear that poured from his eyes now.

Leon had been terrified after Kimble's savage beating. Leon could tell the crew was bugging out and he figured this was going to be it for him. He was dead. I mean, why would they take him along? He didn't even understand why he hadn't been killed already. To his surprise, Sabretooth just walked into the holding area and stood there looking at him with a perplexed expression on his face as he clenched his hands over and over again, deciding. He unlocked Leon's cell and dragged him out, screaming and kicking. Leon struggled as he was bound and gagged, but the restraining collar he still wore around his neck kept him from doing anything more.

He was crammed into a long trench coat like Kimble's to hide his restraints and then forced to wait in the hallway as Creed turned next to Kimble. The pilot had been repaired only moments before by Mary and had stopped making that horrible racket. Leon was disgusted as he watched Kimble writhe and grovel at Sabretooth's feet, begging and slobbering for forgiveness. Creed bent down and snatched the pilot by the throat, bringing him up high, high off of his feet to glare into his eyes. The pilot hung there submissively like a dead thing while Creed stood there looking at him with the same perplexed expression he had given to Leon when he stood there trying to decide what to do with him. He tossed Kimble out into the hall and then the two of them were dragged roughly down to the car and tossed inside. Creed took a seat across from Leon, his eyes moving instantly to the window and saying nothing. Kimble was a sobbing lump of misery on the floor.

Leon was confused about a great many things. Kimble had powers, Zander had shown just what he was capable of when he exploded Seamus, and yet Kimble, with no restraining collar, had offered no resistance to the horrific beating or to anything that was done to him afterwards. He was like the passive sacrificial lamb being led dutifully off to slaughter. Leon was disgusted. This was Cameron's ShaRain? The one was supposedly going to lead the Freedom Kings into glory? What a joke.

Equally perplexing was the change in Sabretooth, but that only gave Leon some sense of hope. The Sabretooth he knew could never keep his mouth shut as he boasted loudly about how he was going to kill and was blatantly violent. The creature before him now was a changed man. He was abnormally passive and his eyes clear from murderous blinding rage. This was not the same man who on that horrible first day had pinned Lakotashay down before him and ravaged that poor creature's body with such terrible force. This one was hurt and angry, eerily silent in his fury.

Leon looked at Kimble as he sobbed and groveled at Creed's feet. Over his long stay in the holding cell, Leon had overheard the guards talking about Creed's Whore. It didn't take him long to figure out they were talking about Lakotashay. Somehow 'Shay had insinuated herself in this monster's good graces in order to survive. They rambled on about this Whore who allowed himself to be treated like dog shit and came back begging for more. He had a place next to Creed's bedside and was at his beck and call. Anyone of Creed's people who wanted to, could have a piece of Creed's Whore although the word was that Creed had become more and more possessive of his Whore, sharing him willingly only with Mary. If you were fast enough and sneaky, you could catch the Whore behind Creed's back and he would do anything you wanted, anything. He just didn't care.

Leon wasn't too surprised. He'd seen Kimble in action on Cameron's Club tapes before the change, before Lakotashay had come and made things right. Looked like Kimble had returned for good and found himself a little slice of heaven. Or so he had thought. That night's beating was the worst thing Leon had ever seen.

There had been a frightful noise as Creed's thundering rage exploded and Kimble was dragged down to the holding cells. Kimble never resisted as he was smashed down again and again until he lay in a broken heap, barely breathing. Creed left and the pilot was tossed into the cell next to Leon. Mary came and Leon could hear Kimble whimpering and crying to her that he had only wanted to talk to Remy because he missed him and wanted to let him know he was okay. He hadn't meant anything by it.

Leon thought it was a crock of shit. Kimble must have been trying to escape and got caught. Mary seemed to believe him, though. She repaired Creed's damage with her plasma and Kimble fell silent in a stupor, his pain taken. Later, Creed came to collect his Whore and now they were all here in the car, driving off to who knows where.

----------------------------------

The limo cruised for a while and then Creed grunted some kind of signal to Mary who was driving. The car stopped and Leon was dragged out. Kimble didn't even look up from his disheveled mess on the floor of the car, there would be no goodbyes. It was night time and Leon was hauled out onto the street and taken into an alley. He was shocked when Creed ripped him free from the ropes that bound him and jammed some money in his pocket. Victor tossed him away like he was diseased and headed back to his car. He looked back at Leon and said a single word, "Run."

Sabretooth stalked back to the car and was driven away.

Leon just stood there, stunned that he'd been freed. He still wore the collar but was alive. He fled quickly and stumbled into the nearest restaurant, turning up his jacket collar to hide the inhibitor collar. He was never more grateful to be alive than at that moment.


	8. Chapter 8

(Eight)

Creed said nothing as he climbed back into the car and they sped off again. They drove for a long time before they pulled up to a hotel outside of the City. He and Kimble waited in the car while Mary went into the lobby and made all of the arrangements. When she returned, Creed dragged the pilot out of the car and shoved him into their cramped and tiny room. He tossed Kimble into the bathroom and ordered him to sleep in the bathtub. Victor was so angry, he didn't want Kimble in the same room as him. He clicked on the TV and opened a bottle of whiskey he brought in from the limo.

Hours later, cold and shivering in the tub, Kimble heard Sabretooth snoring and then start to growl as he began to dream. Kimble snuck out, careful not to make any noise and looked at his Master. Sabretooth was undressed and sprawled out across the bed, the bottle now empty. He twitched and snorted as he dreamed, holding his huge clawed hands out in front of him defensively. "Nno...Poppa, I won't do it no more, please..." he breathed in a voice that sounded so small and fragile.

Kimble bowed his head with renewed shame. When Kimble had first come to the penthouse, Creed dreamed like this every night. The longer he was there, the fewer nightmares his Master had. Now that Creed had gotten so upset, he was dreaming again. Kimble had hurt him, this was all his fault.

Sabretooth jerked with a snarl and woke suddenly, gasping. He groaned and wiped at his face, almost crying. He sniffed, regaining his sense of order after a moment, and clicked on the light. He saw Kimble crouched low by his side now and turned away, snatching for his cigarettes. He sat up, laying his feet down on the other side of the bed, turning his back to Kimble. "Git back in yer room, Kim."

Kimble was torn. He could obey or he could try and fix this. He cautiously approached his Master and crawled up onto the bed. He was nervous and ready to bolt at any sign of violence, but Victor just sat there, his head down as he smoked.

Creed felt him come and the surge of anger that followed. He just knew Kimble was going to beg and plead and that was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. He startled a little when he felt Kimble gently lay his hands on his shoulders and start to skillfully knead away the knots there in his muscles. Kimble leaned in close to his ear and started to whisper, not pleas for forgiveness, but a joke.

"What's so great about fuckin' homeless girls?"

Creed grunted.

"When yer done with 'em you kin drop 'em off anawheres."

The Master didn't laugh, he sat quiet.

Kimble tried another. "What's the diff'rence 'tween a bitch an' a whore?"

Creed grunted again, but he was smiling now, anticipating the answer. He was a fool for a dirty joke and was privately pleased that Kimble was doing this to cheer him. Once more Kimble had moved beyond his expectations.

Kimble didn't wait for the Master to guess, he said, "A whore sleeps with evrabody at the party, an' a bitch sleeps with evraone at the party 'cept you."

Creed shook his head, laughing softly.

"What's the diff'rence ' tween love, true love an' showin' off?"

"What?" the Master asked, lured in.

"Spittin', swallowin', an' garglin'."

Victor snickered. "Got that right."

"Man tells his wife, 'You gots three choices. You kin goes huntin' with me, give me a blow job, or let me fuck you in the ass.' Wife says, 'I don' feel like no huntin' an I ain't gonna letcha fuck me in the ass, sos I guess I'll just gives ya a blow job.'. She goes down on the guy and makes a face. 'Yer cock tastes like shit!'. The guy jus' laughs. He says, 'Yeah, the dog didn' wanna go huntin' neither!' "

Kimble smiled when he heard Sabretooth laugh for real this time. He was happy now. Creed's vibrations had changed, he was no longer upset by the dream or anything else. He was relaxed and Kimble continued to tell him jokes as he kneaded away at Victor's shoulders.

"**Kristalay**...?" Kimble whispered after a few more jokes. It was Siskan for Golden Hair.

Creed didn't know what it meant, but he liked the sound of it. Kimble had said it almost like a kiss. "Whatcha want, kid?"

"You okay now? I'm sorry I made ya all mad an' dreamin'."

Creed put his head down and tensed up again. He should have known Kimble wouldn't be able to let it go. Fine then. He casually reached down to his pants on the floor and slid the thick leather belt from the loops.

Kimble cringed and backed up, whining softly. Oh, this was going to be bad.

"What ya done...well, it hurt me real bad," Creed said, a strange icy coldness in his voice. "When I was bad, my Poppa useta punish me good...let me know that what I done wasn't gonna happen again... ever."

_Oh_, _I don' think so!_ Zander howled from within the confines of Kimble's mind. _I don' care what you an' 'Shay is thinkin' a good ol' time is! This ain't happenin'!_

"Master...please!" Kimble whined, trembling instantly."Ya hit me so bad already!"

_It's what we deserve! _Lakotashay said, unable to hide her glee. Amazingly, the thought of the pain aroused her and Kimble was shocked to discover he was already hard.She was thrilled by the opportunity to see Kimble punished.

Sabretooth continued to advance. "I beat ya b'fore, but ya still disobey. Looks ta me like maybe you need a better incentive. You said you was sorry...Prove it. Get undressed and lay down."

"M-Master!"

"I won't ask you again."

Kimble slowly undressed, fighting with his clothes and stalling. He was hoping the Master would change his mind, but it didn't happen. He lay down on the bed, spreading himself flat on his belly. He was unable to stop his trembling or the tears that flowed from his eyes. "I hates you, Zander!" he whimpered softly, covering his mouth. "This is all yer fault!"

"Be quiet!" Sabretooth barked.

Kimble cringed and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"You even make one sound, I'll cut you open wide."

Creed folded the leather in his hands, Kimble could hear the rasp of it as it slid through the man's thick, calloused fingers. He started out on Kimble's legs, whipping him only just a little. Kimble did his best to be quiet, but the pain was incredible. He squealed and Victor whacked him harder, cutting him across his back. Grey gel seeped from the wound and dribbled down his sides. Kimble buried his face in the pillows and cried silently, having learned his lesson quickly. Creed spread out the blows, letting Kimble worry when the next one would fall. Kimble twitched and quivered as the real battle was waged inside the bright white circle of his mind.

_I cain't believe yer sittin' fer this. What a soft little pussy you are!_ Zander growled, pacing in as much of the circle of light as his chains would allow. _You can kick his ass and you knows it!_

_Shuts up! This's all **yer** fault! _Kimble bawled._ I hates you!_

_I didn' make ya do nuthin' ya didn' want!_, the Punisher returned, but couldn't hide a undertone of guilt.

_We deserve this for hurtin' the Master!_ Lakotashay shouted at Zander and tossed another piece of her sign at him. It seemed as though it regenerated itself. She never appeared to run out of ammunition. She turned to Kimble, her enjoyment and arousal from this obvious. This was all she caredabout and wasn't the least bit upset by the turn of events_. Think about how great the sex will be after, Lover._

Kimble groaned and Creed hit him hard again. The blast of pain rocked him and robbed him of his breath. He felt the weight of his Master sink into the mattress as he came close and breathed in Kimble's ear. "Are ya done, boy? I can do this all night."

Kimble opened his mouth to speak, to plead for mercy, but 'Shay beat him to it. "No, Master," she purred through Kimble's tears as she rudely took the helm. This was pain she desired and it was going to be hers. He was too weak to resist her. "Jus' a little more...please."

Creed laughed and the vibration of his pleasure came into Lakotashay strong and bright. She shivered and grunted as her lower body seemed to have a will of its own. Her arousal was running away with itself. The pain was immense, but so was her passion. Her erection was huge and throbbing, all she could feel in spite of the raw stinging of her backside. Sabretooth did an odd thing then. He reached below and touched her there. He never touched Kimble there. It was more than she could stand.

Lakotashay bucked and moaned, roused even further. "Master!"

Creed tossed the belt, seeing Lakotashay had reached her end. He pounced on the bed and smashed her head down into the pillows, mounting her without preamble. He wasn't there long before she lost control and shook as her body exploded in ecstacy. Victor wasn't far behind, his own climax just as violent, showering Lakotashay with a burst of joy. She couldn't help but shake all over again. She laughed and laughed and then retreated, letting Kimble clean up, letting him feel the agony of his flayed skin.

Kimble lay gasping and shivering, his mind gone. All there was around him now was a bright shimmering light. At the moment of climax, when their pleasure had been blended with the worst sort of pain, a strange fluttering thought had briefly flashed through Kimble's poor tattered mind. It came with Kimble's pain, it came with a sudden burst of hatred -- _**I wish the Master wuz dead fer doin' this ta me!** _

The thought had gone no further than that when a bomb had gone off inside his mind. Deep inside the Black Room, even Zander was reeling now. There was a flash of bright, a blue bolt of lighting fired off inside the Black Room and the body gave a violent tremor. When he next opened his eyes, Zander groaned as he saw they were no longer alone. A new set of chains glimmered in the circle of light.

Zander had seen this before, oh yes. It happened the day Valentin had crushed Kimble's hand, the day Kimble had killed those men on Station Nine. Zander himself had been created the day Sheyman died. Like this new one, he hadn't come out to take over the body, but he had come awake inside, birthed by Young Kimble's rage and resentment when she discovered she was just a possession to be passed around, when she learned she had no rights. Zartak's rough treatment hadn't helped, nor had their pathetic existence on Nine.

Lakotashay had come into being that last fateful day on Nine. Yes, the body was called Zander then and the Punisher had gained some strength from all the training files, but it was Kimble still running the show. The Lover clearly couldn't handle it. Kimble had wished for death with all of his heart and 'Shay had come kicking and screaming into her chains as the body choked on Valentin's pain and vibrations of loathing. Remy's experience of Kimble's files were visual only really, he couldn't see inside Kimble deeply enough to fully understand how badly his friend had shattered on that day. He had never been to Kimble's personal Black Room, no one had. The Punisher had been living there, however, and saw the shattering when Lakotashay had come screaming into existence. Now he was seeing it again.

The new set of chains shimmered and grew more solid as Kimble thrashed in pain out in the real world. The chains weren't empty. A tiny child was there, wrapped in a fuzzy brown blanket. He was very young, about three or four years in age, a tiny pilot child. He shivered and wrapped up tight, covering his whole body until only his face could be seen. "_**We done a bad thing**_..." this new one whispered softly in Siskan. He hadn't spoken out loud in the real world, he wasn't quite strong enough yet, but Zander knew it was only a matter of time.

"Kimble, please..." Zander called out in protest to this new shattering, willing the Lover to be stronger than this, but Kimble was beyond his reach.

Kimble had never felt pain on this level and was going into shock, something that was happening to him with alarming regularity. Coupled with the savage beating he'd been given back at the penthouse, he had nearly reached his end. His earlier rage and unspoken wish was gone, all that remained was his pain. He wheezed and shivered as his hands strayed to cup his ears. His eyes clamped shut tight. It didn't stop his tears from pouring down his cheeks.

_I told you it would be good,_ Lakotashay whispered, not realizing or caring about Kimble's plight. She was cold and selfish, happy now that she had gotten what she wanted. She paid no mind to the new arrival, she didn't fully understand what it meant. She cared nothing about Kimble's further shattering, if anything it helped her cause. The less control the other two had, the more likely she could end this for all of them.

Kimble sobbed, trying keep it as quiet as possible. He didn't dare raise his Master's ire again. He was insane, there was no other explanation for this. He had gone all the way over for sure. There was no coming back from this. He was out in the body and didn't see what had happened within. All he knew was that he was now hopelessly ruined, no good for anything decent anymore. What would Sheyman think of him now? The thought filled him with loathing.

"H-help me!" he sobbed, not sure who he was even speaking to.

"There ain't no one here but me," Victor grumbled, pulling the pillows away so Kimble could breathe a little better. Kimble's hair had spread out in a beautiful tangle and Creed pulled it back from his face. He gently turned Kimble over and looked into his eyes. The pilot's pupils were huge from shock, his body was starting to shut down, but Creed mistook it for bliss. "There ain't never gonna be no one else but me."

"Y-yes...Master," Kimble wheezed, knowing it was true in spite of his present agony. There would never be another because he would never be worthy of anyone else. He was Siskan trash, garbage, fit only for the monster who held him now. It was still better than being alone and the constant use would soothe him, he tried to console himself. His body was on fire now, the movement pulling on his injuries. His back and legs were scored with dozens of angry red welts. Stars sparkled in front of his eyes and he tried desperately not to pass out. Creed was not an expert at sadomasochism, he hadn't been gentle. "D-don' wan' nobody else...Don' make me go 'way... please..." Kimble continued to plead. He was wrecked. The only thing worse than this would be to be tossed aside again.

Sabretooth brushed his cheek with a clawed finger, wiping Kimble's tears away. "You gonna ever use a phone again?" he asked, his voice quiet.

The pilot shuddered with fear. If he could have, he would have pissed himself in terror. He would never survive a beating like that again. "N-no, Master!"

_**"We done a bad thing..."**_ the small child whispered again from within, still unheard from the one at the helm, but not by Zander who growled with impatience. This truly sucked. How much more damage would they suffer before he managed to get them home again?

"All right, then," Sabretooth growled happily and gave Kimble a rough caress with a heavy clawed hand.

Kimble's spirit soared in spite of his pain. He'd been forgiven! Everything was going to be good again, just like it was. He had earned his freedom! He laughed as grateful tears poured from his eyes.

Sabretooth watched this, that pained perplexed look back on his face. Kimble was a mystery to him, something he would never understand. No matter how hard he pushed him away, consciously or not with the abuse, this one stayed. No, he even asked for more. Creed just didn't get it. The only answer had to be that on some sick level, Kimble was in love with him, with this. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but didn't fight the flush of happiness that came to him. Someone wanted him...someone actually loved him. A freak for a monster. In an insane world, it almost made sense. He left the pilot there on the bed and picked up the phone, dialing Mary's number.

---------------------------------

Mary came into Creed's hotel room without knocking. She entered and looked around. Sabretooth was seated at the tiny table, his feet up onto the bed and the remote for the TV out in front of him. He'd used a claw to carve it from the night stand. He was dressed now in his pants, the belt neatly back in place. She smiled at him, always impressed by his powerful presence.

She looked past him to the bed and frowned. Kimble was there, naked and sprawled out on his belly, dozing uncomfortably. His body was covered in angry red welts, some of them seeping grey gel. He twitched and moaned, in too much pain for it not to show. Tears still streamed from his eyes.

"Someday you're going to break him," she admonished, trying to keep her voice level. She knew Creed had been in a mood.

"That's why I keep you around," Creed purred, his face the picture of contentment. His eyes were half lidded and dreamy. He'd finished with Kimble only a few minutes before and had showered. He was still high.

Mary eased over to the bed and gently brushed some of Kimble's hair back. "Hey, baby. You awake?"

Kimble's eyes fluttered open and his face crinkled as the pain came back, full strength. He whimpered and clutched at her, demanding release from his misery. She'd seen this so many times now. Whatever Creed dished out, Kimble received. It was impossible what he could handle. She warmed up her hands with plasma and lay them on his back, bracing for impact. She had come to love these brief moments when they tumbled in that gentle free fall through Kimble's mind as his body foolishly tried to connect to a computer that was no longer there.

She gasped sharply from the draw and she was gone. She laughed, falling now with Kimble's arms wrapped around her in the grey sky of his mind. She would never admit this, but it was the gentleness of his touch she craved. He was always so tender with her, the opposite of every man she'd ever known. So submissive and calm, he would sit at her feet, sometimes for an hour or more, just trembling as he waited for her to speak. As soon as she gave the word, he was all over her, kissing her madly and shivering as her power cascaded into him. His skin would heat up and the fire of it drove her crazy. It never took him long to finish her. It didn't matter. The best part was what came after, the gentle cuddling and careful way he ran his hands over her. His most favorite thing to do was lay beside her, suckling gently at her breast until he fell asleep. How she would hold him then, her arms around him protectively as if she were his mother and not his lover.

"Unable to make connection," came the soft chime and then she was back on the outside.

_Good riddance, ya bitch,_ Zander grumbled, but she never heard it. He disapproved of her only because she was part of Kimble's cycle of insanity. Beatings and cuddlings. Why didn't Kimble see that they just had to break free of this?

_Cuz he's the Lover. If ya ever let yer anger drop, ya might feel some pleasure fer once,_ 'Shay said happily. She wanted only to belong somewhere and was content here. The beatings were a perk. It was payback for all the rotten things she'd done. She knew it was bad to kill, but now that all seemed so far away. The beatings would hold her. She couldn't wait to feel the belt again.

Back on the outside, Kimble whispered, "Thanks, Mary..." just before he conked out again, snoring softly.

Mary sat back and smiled just a little bit. She was always guarded around Creed. She knew he was jealous so she kept her moments with Kimble as private as possible. She was secretly planning a way to steal Kimble away, but so far an opportunity hadn't presented itself yet. Perhaps if she was patient...

"You even think about takin' him, Mary...I'll hunt ya down and shred ya, one limb at a time. One strand of muscle at a time. I'll drink yer blood right down an' have yer brains fer breakfast," Sabretooth threatened, completely serious.

Mary trembled. She'd seen him do that once, oh yes. He'd brutalized a member of his group that had stolen from him. The whole thing took over an hour and Creed was reveling in it the whole time. How he'd laughed! Mary had no illusions about the insanity of her boss -- Victor was so wacked and violent, he operated on a whole other plane of existence than the rest of them. The only decent thing about him was that he paid very well. He'd made her quite rich and all she really wanted was to be alive long enough to enjoy it.

"I wouldn't. You know that."

"Just sos we're clear, darlin'."

She gave him a small smile and rose to leave. "We're clear," she said stiffly and fled.

Creed chuckled to himself and smiled. His eyes grew heavy and he soon dropped off. His pain was gone, his rage was gone. There had been a brief moment of unpleasantness, but that was all behind them now and best forgotten. It was nice though, the whipping. Maybe he should get another belt...one a bit softer, yes. More supple, just like Daddy's. Yeah...he knew just the place to go. Creed twitched and snored himself, content.

To be continued in Confessions.


End file.
